MITCHILL ON THE EARTHQUAKES, &C. IN THE AZORES. 329 



tinue so long as this has already been burning, nor did it throw up such 

 a quantity of lava." 



From one of the gazettes was taken another account, which was 

 stated to have been drawn up by a gentleman just then arrived from 

 St. Michaels. 



" In the first part of June last, the inhabitants of the island of St. 

 Michaels were much alarmed and astonished by the appearance of 

 smoke, which apparently issued from the earth, spread over the western 

 part of the island, and continued for the space of two days. This smoke 

 was so strongly impregnated with a sulphureous quality, that the resi- 

 dents of that part of the island were nearly suffocated. At the expira- 

 tion of the above-mentioned time, an immense eruption was discovered 

 to proceed from the bosom of the ocean, whose depth at that place was 

 fifty fathoms, at about six leagues distance from the principal town or 

 village of St. Michaels, called Posa Delgada, and one mile from the 

 shore. This eruption continued for two days more, emitting nothing 

 but fire and smoke, which appeared to spread as much as three miles 

 round its vicinity, and then disappearing entirely for the space of only 

 a few hours, when it again commenced its volcanic vomitings one league 

 further to the westward, in the same direction from the shore. 



" Now was to be seen one of the most awful and magnificent sights 

 that the eye of man ever beheld. Let the reader picture to his glow- 

 ing imagination a tremendous marine volcano in its most violent opera- 

 tions ; casting forth continually immense bodies of sparkling fire, beauti- 

 fully variegated with colours of the rainbow, intermixed with rising 

 volumes of smoke ; at the same time very large rocks are seen ascend- 

 ing to an astonishing perpendicular height, till their force being spent, 

 they return with increasing velocity, to regain, as it were, their former 

 watery station; then let him add the terrific thunderings of the greatest 



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