154 Captain Tillard’s Narrative of the Eruption 
feathery smoke in the most fanciful manner imaginable, in- 
termixed with the finest particles of falling ashes, which at 
one time assumed the appearance of innumerable plumes of 
black and white ostrich feathers surmounting each other ; at 
another, that of the light wavy branches of a weeping willow. 
During these bursts, the most vivid flashes of lightning 
continually issued from the densest part of the volcano ; and 
the cloud of smoke now ascending to an altitude much above 
the highest point to which the ashes were projected, rolled off 
in large masses of fleecy clouds, gradually expanding them- 
selves before the wind in a direction nearly horizontal, and 
drawing up to them a quantity of water spouts, which formed 
a most beautiful and striking addition to the general appear- 
ance of the scene. 
That part of the sea, where the volcano was situated, was 
upwards of thirty fathoms deep, and at the time of our view- 
ing it the volcano was only four days old. Soon after our 
arrival on the cliff, a peasant observed he could discern a peak 
above the w'ater : we looked, but could not see it ; however, 
in less than half an hour it was plainly visible, and before we 
quitted the place, which was about three hours from the time 
of our arrival, a complete crater was formed above the water, 
not less than twenty feet high on the side where the greatest 
quantity of ashes fell ; the diameter of the crater being appa- 
rently about four or five hundred feet. 
The great eruptions were generally attended with a noise 
like the continued firing of cannon and musquetry intermixed, 
as also with slight shocks of earthquakes, several of which 
having been felt by my companions, but none by myself, I 
had become half sceptical, and thought their opinion arose 
