[ 8 ] 
among which Portici and Torre del Greco, were 
deftroyed by a torrent of boiling water having burft 
out of the mountain with the lava, by which 
thoufands of lives were loft. About four years ago, 
Mount Etna in Sicily threw up hot water alfo, 
during an eruption. 
The confufion at Naples this night cannot be de- 
fer i bed ; his Sicilian majefty’s hafty retreat from 
Portici added to the alarm ; all the churches were 
opened and filled, the ftreets were thronged with 
proceffions of faints ; but I Qiall avoid entering upon 
a defeription of the various ceremonies that were 
performed in this capital, to quell the fury of the 
turbulent mountain. 
Tuefday the 20th, it was impoflible to judge of 
the lituation of Vefuvius, on account of the fmoak 
and allies which covered it entirely, and fpread over 
Naples alfo, the fun appearing as through a thick 
London fog, or a fmoaked glafs ; fmall allies fell all 
this day at Naples. The lavas on both fides of the 
mountain ran violently; but there was little or no 
noife till about nine o’clock at night, when the 
fame uncommon rumbling began again, accompanied 
with explofions as before, which lafted about four 
hours; it feemed as if the mountain would fplit in 
pieces ; and, indeed, it opened this night almoft 
from the fpot E to C (in Plan I.). The inclofed 
plans were taken upon the fpot at this time, when 
the lava’s were at their height ; and I do not think 
them exaggerated. The Parifian barometer was, as 
yefterday, at 27. 9, and Fahrenheit’s thermometer 
at 70 degrees ; whereas, for fome days preceding the 
eruption, it had beeen at 65 and 66. During the 
confufion 
