3(54 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1739. 



in the middle of the road, a mile and half distant from the Torre del Greco. 

 The second flowed into a large valley. The third ended under the Torre del 

 Greco, near the sea ; and the fourth at a small distance from the new mouth. 



The torrent, which flo\*ed into the valley, ran as far as between the church 

 of the Carmelites and that of the Souls of Purgatory, by the 8th hour on Tues- 

 day. The matter of the torrent ran like melted lead : in eight hours it ad- 

 vanced 4 miles. The trees, which the torrent found in its way, on the first 

 touch took fire, and fell under the weight of the matter. 



The torrent which ran behind the convent of the Carmelites, after setting 

 the little door of the church on fire, entered not only by it, but also through 

 the windows of the vestry, and into two other chambers. In the refectory, it 

 burnt the windows ; and even the glass vessels, that stood on the tables, were 

 melted into a paste by the violent heat of the fire. Sixteen days afterwards, 

 the matter continued hot, and was very hard, but it was broken by repeated 

 blows. 



A piece of glass fastened on the top of a pole, and thrust into this matter, 

 was in 4 minutes reduced to a paste. Under the mass of the torrent were heard 

 frequent reports, which made the church shake, as if by an earthquake. Along 

 the whole surface of the torrent, there appeared small fissures, out of which 

 issued smoke, that smelled of brimstone, mixed with sea-water ; yet these exha- 

 lations are not poisonous, but rather a remedy for some diseases. The stones 

 round about these fissures were observed to be covered with sublimed salts. 



Iron, thrust into these fissures, was taken out moist ; though on thrusting in 

 paper, it was not moistened, but rather somewhat hardened. 



At the same time when the new mouth opened, that on the summit of the 

 mountain vomited a vast quantity of burning matter, which, dividing into tor- 

 rents, and small streams, ran partly towards the Salvadore, and partly towards 

 Ottajano; and at the same time that this matter issued out, red-hot stones 

 were seen to be cast out of the mouth, in the midst of black smoke, frequent 

 flashes of lightning and thunder, all produced by the same matter. 



These impetuous expulsions of fire continued till Tuesday, when the erup- 

 tion of the melted matter, the flashes, and thundering noise, ceased; but a 

 strong south-west wind arising, the ashes were carried in great quantities to 

 the utmost boundaries of the kingdom ; in some places very fine, in others as 

 coarse as Ischian sand: and in the neighbourhood they not only felt this plen- 

 tiful shower of ashes, but likewise pieces of pumice-stones, and other large 

 stones. 



Tuesday night the fury of the mountain began to abate, so that on Sunday 

 there was scarcely any flame seen to break out of the upper mouth ; and on 



