NOME vn. VOLCANIC INTHITE. 495 



another, the immense quantities of stones, which 

 struck against each other in the air ; those which 

 fell back into the cauldron, and those which from 

 a prodigious height fell on the external walls of 

 the volcano, produced a most frightful uproar. 



" Such was the state of the volcano to the 

 5th of July ; and during the whole interval an- 

 other meteor occasioned incalculable damage to 

 the fields in the neighbourhood of Vesuvius; 

 this was rain, which for a fortnight w f as inces- riwyrain*. 

 sant, and mostly so violent that it laid waste the 

 best grounds of Somma, Ottajano, and Bosco. 

 Whenever a cloud appeared above the horizon, 

 it seemed to be attracted by the volcano, and 

 scarcely did it touch its summit ere immense 

 streams were visible, precipitating themselves 

 with horrible roaring to the base of the mountain. 

 These impetuous torrents of water, mingled with 

 volcanic powders, overturned the bridges, har- 

 rowed up the roads, tore up trees by the roots, 

 and bore them along in their course, carried 

 away houses, and utterly devastated the fields of 

 one of the most rich and flourishing countries 

 in the world. For the space of a fortnight its 

 unfortunate inhabitants were in a state of un- 

 certainty respecting their fate, and were repeat- 

 edly forced to abandon and flee from their dwell- 

 ings, in the very dead of night, to preserve their 



