The Crater of Fefuvius open. [Book VI, 



the nobility and gentry, having caufed their horfes 

 to be taken from their carriages, flept in them in the 

 fquares and open places, or on the high roads juft out 

 of the towru For feveral da^s, while the volcanic 

 ftorms of thunder and lightning lafted, the inhabitants 

 at the foot of the volcano, both on the fea fide and the 

 Somma fide, were often fenfible of a tremor in the 

 earth, as well as of the concuffions in the air, but at 

 Naples only the earthquakes of the iczth and i$th of 

 June were diftinclly and univerfally felt : this fair city- 

 could not certainly have refilled, had not thofe earth- 

 quakes been fortunately of a fhort duration. Through- 

 out this eruption, which continued in force about ten 

 days, the fever of the mountain, as has been remarked 

 in former eruptions, fhowed itfelf to be in fome meafure 

 periodical, and generally was mofb violent at the break 

 of day, at noon, and at midnight. 



About four o'clock in the morning of the i6th, the 

 crater of Vefuvius began to Ihow figns of being open, 

 by fome black fmoke ifluing out of it ; and at day- 

 break another fmoke, tinged with red, ifluing from 

 an opening near the crater, but on the other fide of 

 the mountain, and facing the town of Ottaiano, ill e wed. 

 that a new mouth had opened there from which a 

 confi'Jerable ftream of lava iffuvd, and ran with great 

 velocity through a wood, which it burnt ; and having 

 run about three miles in a few hours it ftopped before 

 it had arrived at the vineyards and cultivated lands. 

 The crater, and all the conical part of Vefuvius, was 

 foon involved in clouds and darknefs, and fo it re- 

 mained for feveral days; but above thefe clouds, 

 although of a great height, frefh columns of fmoke 

 were feen from the crater, rifing furioufly ftill higher, 

 until the whole mafs remained in the ufual form of 

 a pine-tree j and in that gigantic mafs of heavy clouds 



die 



