26 



It was every where believed to be transmitted 

 through the air ; and was so far from being 

 thought a subterraneous noise, that at Caraccas, 

 as well as at Calabozo, preparations were made 

 to put the place into a state of defence against 

 an enemy, who seemed to be advancing with 

 heavy artillery. Mr. Palacio, crossing the rio 

 Apura below the Orivante, near the junction of 

 the rio Nula, was told by the inhabitants, that 

 the "firing of cannon* had been heard as dis- 

 tinctly at the western extremity of the province 

 of Varinas, as at the port of La Guayra to the 

 North of the chain of the coast. 



The day on which the inhabitants of Terra 

 Firma were alarmed by a subterraneous noise 

 was that on which happened the great eruption 

 of the volcano in the island of St. Vincent*. 

 This mountain, near five hundred toises high, 

 had not thrown out any lava since the year 1718. 

 Scarcely was any smoke perceived to issue from 

 it's top, when, in the month of May, 1811, fre- 

 quent shocks announced, that the volcanic fire 

 was either rekindled, or directed anew toward 

 that part of the West Indies. The first eruption 

 did not take place till the 27th of April, 1812, 

 at noon. It was only an ejection of ashes, but 



* Barbadoes Gazette for May 6, 1812. Bibliot. Britt., 1813, 

 May, p. 90. New England Journal of Medicine, 1813, p. 93, 

 Trans, of New York, vol. \, p. 315. he Blond, Voyage am 

 Antilles, vol, i, p. 187, 



