79 
tie late Eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 
iron foundery in Scotland, and which it perfectly resembled. 
The frequent falling of the huge stones and scoriae, which were 
thrown up to an incredible height from some of the new 
mouths, and one of which having been since measured by the 
Abb6 Tata (who has published an account of this eruption), 
was 10 feet high, and 35 in circumference, contributed un- 
doubtedly to the concussion of the earth and air, which kept 
all the houses at Naples for several hours in a constant tre- 
mor, every door and window shaking and rattling inces- 
santly, and the bells ringing: This was an awful moment ! 
The sky, from a bright full moon and star-light, began to be 
obscured ; the moon had presently the appearance of being in 
an eclipse, and soon after was totally lost in obscurity. The 
murmur of the prayers and lamentations of a numerous popu- 
lace forming various processions, and parading in the streets, 
added likewise to the horror. As the lava did not appear to 
me to have yet a sufficient vent, and it was now evident that 
the earthquakes we had already felt had been occasioned by 
the air and fiery matter confined within the bowels of the 
mountain, and probably at no small depth (considering the 
extent of those earthquakes), I recommended to the com- 
pany that was with me, who began to be much alarmed, ra- 
ther to go and view the mountain at some greater distance, 
and in the open air, than to remain in the house, which was 
on the sea side, and in the part of Naples that is nearest and 
most exposed to Vesuvius. We accordingly Went to Posilipo, 
and viewed the conflagration, now become still more consi- 
derable, from the sea side under that mountain ; but whether 
from the eruption having increased, or from the loud reports 
of the volcanic explosions being repeated by the mountain 
