[ 5 ] 
after having mounted an extraordinary height, bent 
with the wind towards Caprea, and adually reached 
over that ifland, which is not lefs than 28 miles 
from Vefuvius. 
I warned my family not to be alarmed, as I ex- 
pected there would be an earthquake at the moment 
of the lava’s burfting out 5 but before eight of the 
clock in the morning I perceived that the mountain 
had opened a mouth, without noife, about 100 yards 
lower than the ancient crater, on the fide towards 
the Monte di Somrna; and I plainly perceived, by a 
white fmoak, which always accompanies the lava, 
that it had forced its way out : as foon as it had vent, 
the fmoak no longer came out with that violence 
from the top. As I imagined that there would be 
no danger in approaching the mountain when the 
lava had vent, 1 went up immediately, accompanied 
by one peafant only. 1 paffed the hermitage (3. 
in Plan L), and proceeded as far as the fpot marked 
( x ), in the valley between the mountain of Somma 
and that of Vefuvius, which is called Atrio di Cavallo. 
I was making my obfervations upon the lava, which 
had already, from the fpot (E) where it firffc broke 
out, reached the valley, when, on a fudden, about 
noon, I heard a violent noife within the mountain, 
and at the fpot (C) about a quarter of a mile off the 
place where I flood, the mountain fplit ; and, with 
much noife, from this new mouth a fountain of li- 
quid fire (hot up many feet high, and then like a 
torrent rolled on diredtly towards us. The earth (hook 
at the fame time, that a volley of pumice ftones fell 
thick upon usj in an inflant, clouds of black fmoak 
and afhes caufed almoft a total darknefs ; the explo- 
sions 
