

LETTER V. i2r 



8. " But nothing is more extraordinary than 

 what is demonftratively evident to have been 

 the Cataftrophe of it. That it was partly de- 

 ftroyed by an Eruption of the Mountain can 

 " never be doubted, and in the following man- 

 *^ ner j Firft it was fet on fire by burning matter 

 " from the Mountain, and by the time it was 

 " well in Flames it was overwhelmed^ and the 

 fire was fmothered: Your Lordfhip will be 

 convinced of this by what I am going to ob- 

 ferve^ I have taken notice that there is every 

 where great quantities of Beams, and Rafters, 

 and Trees, and Billets of Wood, fcattered up 

 ^' and down -, all thefe are burnt to as fine and 

 " perfedl a Charcoal as ever I faw, or as any body 

 " ever made ufe of; the very largeft of the 

 Beams are burnt to the Heart, though they 

 have perfedly preferved their Form, infomuch 

 that in all of them I examined, I could per- 

 ceive every ftroak of the Ax or Tool they 

 were hewn and fhaped with ; that the Town 

 was burnt, is as plain as that it was overwhelm- 

 ed. Now if it had continued to burn for any 

 time, all the Beams and Rafters would have 

 been reduced to Afhes, or have been quite de- 

 faced, whereas by the Fire being fuddenly 

 fmothered, they became true and perfecfl Char- 

 coal as they are ; This feems to be the cafe of 

 that part of it that is hitherto difcovered. 



Q " That 





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