22 MOUNT VESUVIUS. 



never grew paler or less, and the burning stones and rocks succeeded 

 each other without intermission or decrease. If our readers could 

 imagine ten thousand pieces of ordnance, discharging red-hot shot in 

 the air, in conjunction with ten thousand of the greatest rockets, still 

 they would leave an inadequate idea of this mighty eruption, and of the 

 noise that accompanied it. 



" The column of fire threw a horrid blood glare over part of the bay, 

 and a small portion of the sky, while from the dense clouds of smoke 

 that continually increased, the most vivid forked lighning flashed at 

 every second. The ghastly blue of these long zig-zag flashes contrasted 

 strangely with the red color of the volcanic fire, and, as they darted on 

 either side, and high above the head of the pillar, rising from the crater, 

 they produced an effect which baffles all description of the pen, or the 

 ingenuity of the pencil. To all this must be added, that a continuous 

 issue of lava now came from the cone, and rolled down towards the sea, 

 as a vast river of fire, whilst another stream of lava, scarcely less in magnitude, 

 but not visible from Naples, flowed in the direction of the now disinterred 

 city of Pompeii. Through the crowded city terror seemed to keep all eyes 

 open, and numerous processions with figures of Madonnas and Saints, were 

 seen hurrying to particular churches, and the suburbs facing Vesuvius, to 

 implore the protection of Heaven. On the road to Portici the scene was still 

 more melancholy thousands and thousands of affrighted peasants from 

 villages on the mountain's sides, and towns-people from Portici, Eesina, 

 the Torre del Greco, and other villages, were flying towards Naples, 

 with such of their property as they could remove, or were lying out in 

 the fields, or on the road near to the walls of the capital. The aged and 

 the infirm, weeping women, and helpless children, were huddled together, 

 with the conviction that their homes, their gardens, and their vineyards, 

 must inevitably be consumed and buried by the descending lava. 



" The writer reached Resina, and thence walked up the Mountain to the 

 Hermitage of San Salvatore, which is situated on a flat at the foot of the 

 terminating cone, in which is the great crater. Here he found several 

 English, and among them some ladies, whose anxiety to view this sublime 

 spectacle near at hand had conquered their fears. From the Hermitage he 

 advanced nearer to the cone, and then descended into a hollow, through 

 which the great river of lava was flowing. As he approached it, he saw 

 it come in contact with a fine large vineyard. The low dried vines were 

 set on fire immediately, and, blazing all over in an instant, the destruc- 

 tive element spread to another and another vineyard until considerable 

 mischief was done. 



