50 Sir william Hamilton’s Account of 
full view of Vefuvius (which is juft oppofite, and at the 
diftance of about lix miles in a direCt line from it; that 
the volcano was in a moft violent agitation : a white and 
fulphureous fmoke iflued continually and impetuoufly 
from its crater, one puff impelling another, and by an 
accumulation of thofe, clouds of fmoke refembling bales 
of the whiteft cotton. Such a mafs of them was foon 
piled over the top of the volcano as exceeded the height 
and fize of the mountain itfelf at leaft four times. In 
the midft of this very white fmoke, an immenfe quan- 
tity of ftones, fcoria , and alhes, were Ihot up to a won- 
derful height, certainly not lefs than two thoufand feet. 
I could alfo perceive, by the help of one of ramsden’s 
moft excellent refracting telefcopes, at times, a quantity 
of liquid lava, feemingly very weighty, juft heaved up 
high enough to clear the rim of the crater, and then 
take its courfe impetuoufly down the fteep fide of Vefu- 
vius, oppofite to Somma. Soon after a lava broke out on 
the fame fide from about the middle of the conical part 
of the volcano, and, having run with violence fome 
hours, ceafed fuddenly, juft before it had arrived at the 
cultivated parts of the mountain above Portici, near four 
miles from the fpot where it iflued. 
During this day’s eruption, as I have been credibly in- 
rmed fince, the heat was intolerable at the towns of 
a Somma 
