THE EARTH. 85 



and raging most violently. One cannot form a 

 j uster idea of the noise, in the most violent fits 

 of it, than by imagining a mixed sound, made up 

 of the raging of a tempest, the murmur of a 

 troubled sea, and the roaring of thunder and 

 artillery, confused all together. Though we heard 

 this at a distance of twelve miles, yet it was very 

 terrible. I therefore resolved to approach nearer 

 to the mountain ; and, accordingly, three or four 

 of us got into a boat, and were set ashore at a 

 little town, situated at the foot of the mountain. 

 From thence we rode about four or five miles, 

 before we came to the torrent of fire that was de- 

 scending from the side of the volcano ; and here 

 the roaring grew exceedingly loud and terrible 

 as we approached. I observed a mixture of co- 

 lours in the cloud above the crater, green, yellow, 

 red, blue. There was likewise a ruddy dismal 

 light in the air, over the tract where the burning 

 river flowed. These circumstances, set off and 

 augmented by the horror of the night, made a 

 scene the most uncommon and astonishing I ever 

 saw ; which still increased as we approached the 

 burning river. Imagine a vast torrent of liquid 

 fire, rolling from the top down the side of the 

 mountain, and with irresistible fury bearing down 

 and consuming vines, olives, and houses ; and 

 divided into different channels, according to the 

 inequalities of the mountain. The largest stream 

 seemed half a mile broad at least, and five miles 

 long. I walked so far before my companions up 

 the mountain, along the side of the river of fire, 

 that I was obliged to retire in great haste, the 



