6% Sir william Hamilton’s Account of 
of the fofteft cotton,.; and the black compofed of fcorlct 
and minute allies fliot up with force in the midft of the 
white fmoke, which, from the minerals, was alfo fome- 
tirnes tinged with yellow, blue, and green. Prefently 
fuch a tremenduous mafis of thefe accumulated clouds 
flood over Vefuvius as feemed to threaten Naples again, 
and actually made the mountain itfelf appear a mole- 
hill. 
This day’s eruption was fimilar to that of Thurfday 
laftjbut many degrees more violent. Some ftones, thrown 
near as high as thofe of laft night, fell on the mountain 
of Somma, and fet fire to the brufli wood with which it 
is covered.; but there being little wind, and that Wefter- 
ly, the volcanic matter rofe and fell in a more perpendi- 
cular direction, and Ottaiano did not fuffer by this day’s 
eruption; but moft of the inhabitants of the towns, on 
the borders of Vefuvius, fled to Naples, alarmed by the 
tremendous clouds and the loud expiations.. 
We remarked, that feveral very large ftones, after 
having mounted to an immenfe height, formed a para- 
bola, leaving behind them a trace of white fmoke that 
marked their courfe ; fome faurft in the air exadtly like 
bombs, and others fell into the valley between Somma 
and Vefuvius without burfting; others again bur ft into 
a thou- 
