DOMAIN xii. VOLCANIC. 



And what powerful exertion of strength must 

 have been required to break through the moun- 

 tain in these two opposite directions ! The lava, 

 agitated by the expansion of elastic fluids, made 

 its first effort to liberate itself on the eastern 

 flank, and found a passage ; but the resistance 

 it met with from the mountain, no doubt occa- 

 sioned its reflux, or rebound, against the opposite 

 flank. The western current, taking its departure 

 from a more elevated mouth, more quickly ter- 

 minated its course; but the cauldron chiefly 

 emptied itself by the eastern opening. The lava 

 issued from it very slowly, compared with the 

 celerity with which that flowed which proceeded 

 from the eastern mouth, because it was no longer 

 driven forward nor compressed by the total mass, 

 which was already greatly diminished. 

 Attendant On the morning of the 16th the lava ceased 



phenomena. 



to flow over the western side, and the mouth of 

 the volcano began to resume activity. The 

 whole of its cone was covered with a very thick 

 rain of ashes or powders, which totally hid it 

 from sight, so that nothing could be distinguished 

 on Vesuvius, which was wholly inaccessible. In 

 this state it continued four days, during which, 

 many shocks of earthquakes were felt, and loud 

 claps of thunder were heard. Thunders raged 

 in every part of the adjacent country, and the 



