292 COSMOS. 



was preceded for fully two (?) months, namely, from the 29th 

 of June in the same year, by an uninterrupted subterranean 

 noise. This differed from the wonderful Iramidos of Guari- 

 axuato, which I have elsewhere described,* by the circum- 

 stance that it was, as is usually the case, accompanied by- 

 earthquakes, which were not felt in the mountain city in 

 January, 1784. The eruption of the new volcano, about 

 3 o'clock in the morning, was foretold the day before by 

 a phenomenon which, in other eruptions, does not indicate 

 their commencement, but their conclusion. At the point 

 where the great volcano now stands, there was fortnerly a 

 thick wood of the Guayava (P&idium pyriferum), so much 

 valued by the natives on account of its excellent fruit. La- 

 borers from the sugar-cane fields (canaverales) of the Haci- 

 enda de San Pedro Jorullo, belonging to the rich Don An- 

 dres Pimentel, who was then living in Mexico, had gone out 

 to collect the fruit of the guayava. When they returned to 

 the farm (hacienda) it was remarked with astonishment that 

 their large straw hats were covered with volcanic ashes. 

 Fissures had, consequently, already opened in what is now 

 called the Malpais, probably at the foot of the high basaltic 

 dome El Cuiche, which threw out these ashes (rapilli) before 

 any change appears to have occurred in the plain. From 

 a letter of Father Joaquin de Ansogorri, discovered in the 

 Episcopal archives of Valladolid, which was written three 

 weeks after the day of the first eruption, it appears evident 

 that Father Isidro Molina, sent from the neighboring Jesuits' 

 College of Patzcuaro " to give spiritual comfort to the in- 

 habitants of the Playas de Jorullo, who were extremely dis- 

 quieted by the subterranean noise and earthquakes," was the 

 first to perceive the increasing danger, and thus caused the 

 preservation of the small population. 



In the first hours of the night the black ashes already lay 

 a foot deep ; every one fled toward the hill of Aguasarco, 

 a small Indian village, situated 2409 feet higher than the 

 old plain of Jorullo. From this height -(so runs the tradi- 

 tion) a large tract of land was seen in a state of fearful fiery 

 eruption, and " in the midst of the flames (as those who wit- 

 nessed the ascent of the mountain expressed themselves) there 

 appeared like a black castle (castillo negro) a great shape- 

 less mass (bulto grande)." From the small population of 

 the district (the cultivation of indigo and cotton was then 

 but very little carried on) even the force 'of long-continued 

 * Cosmos, vol. i., p. 209, and vol. v., p. 172. 



