Chap. 47-1 fowncf Torre del Greco deftroyed. . 343 



the ferilli, or volcanic lightning, was frequently vifible, 

 even in the day time. About five o'clock in the 

 morning of the i6th, the lava which had firft broken 

 out from the feveral new mouths on the ibuth fide of 

 the mountain, had reached the fea, and was running 

 into it, having overwhelmed, burnt, and deftroyed the 

 greateft part of Torre del Greco, the principal ftream 

 of lava having taken its courfe through the very 

 center of the town (fee plate II.)*. They obferved 

 from Naples, that when the lava was in the vineyards 

 in its way to the town, there iffued often, and in 

 different parts of it, a bright pale flame, and very 

 different from the deep red of the lava ; this was oc- 

 cafioned by the burning of the trees that fupported 

 the vines. Soon after the beginning of this eruption, 

 aihes fell thick at the foot of the mountain, all the 

 way from Portici to the Torre del Greco ; and what 

 is remarkable, although there were not at that time 

 any clouds in the air, except thofe of fmoke from the 

 mountain, the aihes were wet, and accompanied with 

 large drops of water, which were to the tafte very fait ; 

 the road, which is paved, was as wet as if there had 

 been a heavy fhower of rain. Thofe aihes were black 

 and coarfe, like the fand of the fea-fhore, whereas 

 thofe that fell there, and at Naples fome days after, 

 were of a light-grey colour, and as fine as Spanifh, 

 fnuff, or powdered bark. They contained many fa- 

 line particles; thofe afhes that lay on- the ground, 

 cxpofed to the burning fun, had a coat of the whiteft 

 powder on their furface, which to the tafte was ex- 



* This view was taken from a boat on the fea near that town, 

 about five in the morning of the i6th of June, and whil^ the lava 

 was ftill advancing in the fea. The rocks, on which are two figures 

 near the boat, were formed by a lava that ran into the fea during 

 a former eruption of Mount Vefuvius. 



Z 4 tremely 



