Volcano of Allay in the Indian Ocean. 395 



others with their whole hodies full of wounds. Such were the 

 mournful objects that presented themselves to us during the re- 

 mainder of that afternoon, many of whom died immediately, andl 

 others on the following days ; the rest remaining abandoned to 

 tlie most melancholy fate, without physicians, without medicines, 

 and in want even of necessary food. 



A horrible and mournful day it was, the remembrance of 

 which will ever be indelibly engraven upon our hearts. Not one 

 of us then thought to escape with life. Death presented him- 

 self to us in various and frightful shapes, threatening to depvive 

 us of life by different and horrible methods. But the powerful 

 hand of our beneficent and sovereign God restrains him. At his 

 commanding voice, pale Death is appalled. He trembles, groans, 

 and leaves us. He flees, terror-stricken, to the caverns of the 

 earth, and there begins to mourn and lament the spoils which 

 he was about to make, and of which he has been deprived. He 

 thought on that day to have imbrued more than usual his 

 scythe with blood ; but he was obliged to humble himself before 

 Him who governs the empires, and at whose voice the infernal 

 regions shake with fear. 



The sad result of the misfortunes of that day has been the 

 total ruin of five villages in the province of Camarines, and the 

 principal part of Albay ; the death of more than twelve hundred 

 unfortunate persons, and many others severely wounded ; the 

 loss of every thing that the survivors possessed in the world, 

 being left without houses, without clothing, without animals, 

 without the prospect of a harvest, and without a morsel fit to 

 eat ; the mournful and unhappy fate of many, who have been 

 left orphans, abandoned to Divine Providence ; others widows, 

 with the loss of four, five, and even more children; the total de- 

 struction of their churches and parochial houses, with every thing 

 that they contained : in consequence of which the sacraments 

 could not be administered to such as died of their wounds the 

 succeeding days, and who were buried without any pomp or ce- 

 remony; and the many infants who have since been born, have 

 from necessity been baptized with common water, because the 

 circumstances in which we were placed did not permit it to be 

 otherwise. 



The present appearance of the volcano is most melancholy 

 and terrific. Its side, which was formerly so cultivated, and 

 which afforded a prospect the most picturesque, is now nothing 

 but an arid and barren sand. The stones, sand, and ashes, which 

 cover it, are so astonishing in quantity, that in some places they 

 exceed the thickness of ten and twelve yards ; and in the very 

 spot where lately stood the village of Budiao, there are places in 

 Khich the cocoa-trees are almost covered. In the ruined vil- 

 lages. 



