[ 43 ] 
which it did foon after, we obferved the fmoke 
afcending from it to be very moderate, though, if 
compared with that, which ifiued before the eruption, 
it might be faid to be very confiderable. 
Thus far the fummit : now for the foot, where we 
obferved, at the fame time, a double column of fmoke, 
that we judged to be an eruption, and it proved to be 
a very great one. The flames, and the light of the 
fiream of lava that iflued from it, became vilibJe after 
funfet. We went all of us the next morning (the 
24th), to take a nearer view of the eruption ; we 
took the great road to Salerno, and about ten miles 
from Naples, about mid- way between Torre del 
Greco and Torre del Annuntiata, we were flopped 
by the flream of lava, which had crofled the road, 
and was making for the fea. The mouths of the 
eruption were about a mile and half, or better, to 
our left, and were raging in a very frightful manner, 
as the noife of the explofions, which fucceeded one 
another, at the interval of only a fecond or two, was 
equal to a ftorm of thunder. The flames were very 
bright, after it was dark ; and the accented- ftones, 
which were thrown up in vaft quantities at every ex- 
ploflon, refembled the fpringing of a mine, as they 
call it, in a fire- work. We fiaid an hour or two, 
in the night, on the fpot, to behold this fight. Thefe 
mouths of fire fiill continue to play 4 but the- lava 
has not yet reached the fea, though it was faid to be 
within half a mile. of it, when we were there. ..A 
fmall riling of the ground before it has obliged it to 
fpread in breadth, and its prcgrefs for the fhore is 
very flow: perhaps it may. not reach it, if the erup- 
tion continues, but may, by the level of the ground, 
G 2 be 
