an Eruption of Mount Vefuvius. 63 
a thousand pieces foon after their emiffion from the cra- 
ter: they might very properly be called volcanic bombs. 
In the fmoke iffuing from the crater of Vefuvius we 
often remarked a fudden brilk and quivering motion, 
which feemed to communicate itfelf inftantaneoufly 
from one cloud to another, and fometimes aflfeCted thofe 
that were very high in the great mafs- above the volcano. 
Though I could not-difcern any electrical fire, yet I make 
no doubt, but that the effeCt above mentioned was occa- 
fioned by it, and. would have been vifible in the night- 
timer 
Upon the whole, this day’s- eruption was very alarm- 
ing; until the lava broke out about two o’clock, and ran 
three miles between the two mountains, we were in 
continual apprehenfion of Ibme fatal event. It continued 
to run about three hours, during which time every other~ 
fymptom of the mountain, fever gradually abated, and at 
feven o’clock at night all was calm. 
It was univerfally remarked, that the air this night, 
for many hours after the eruption, was filled with me- 
teors, fuch as are vulgarly called falling ftars ; they fliot 
generally in an horizontal direction, leaving a luminous 
trace behind them, but which quickly difappeared. The 
night was remarkably fine, ftar-light, and without a 
cloud. This kind of electrical fire feemed to be harm- 
lefsj. 
