28 
MR. CALDCLEUGH ON THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION OF COSEGUINA. 
about half-past six o’clock, a cloud of very unusual size and shape was observed by 
the inhabitants of the neighbouring places to rise in the direction of this volcano. 
When viewed from San Antonio, about sixteen leagues to the southward, it took the 
appearance of an immense plume of the whitest feathers, rising with considerable 
velocity, and expanding in every direction. Its colour, at first of the most brilliant 
white, became tinged with grey, then passed into yellow, and finally became of a 
crimson hue. Columns of fire shot up directly through what was still imagined to be 
but a nebulous exhalation of extraordinary appearance ; a severe shock of an earth- 
quake was then felt. During the whole of the 20th the cloud preserved its appear- 
ance, although unattended by that magnificence which at first predominated. 
At three p.m. on the 21st, two severe shocks were felt at San Antonio and Realejo, 
and at midnight five others were experienced ; the two first undulations were not se- 
vere, but the third and the last were terrific. 
On the morning of the 22nd the sun shone brightly at San Antonio, but a line of 
intense darkness was observed in the direction of the cloud which had excited so 
much attention two days before. At the same time a fine white ash was observed to 
fall around, the black line rose rapidly, the light began to fail, and darkness com- 
menced with such quickness, that in half an hour it was more utterly dark than 
during the most clouded night. So intense was this darkness that men could touch 
without seeing each other, the cattle came in from the country showing all the signs 
of alarm and uneasiness, and the fowls went to roost as on the approach of night. 
This state of complete darkness prevailed until the following day, when at twelve 
o’clock it became a little brighter, and objects became visible at ten or twelve yards 
distance. This atmospheric darkness prevailed two days longer, during all of which 
time a fine white impalpable dust continued to fall. This deposit covered the ground 
at San Antonio about two inches and a half in three layers of different colours, the 
lower stratum being of a darker hue, the next of a greyish, and the upper of a whitish 
appearance. For ten or twelve days a murky light continued to prevail. 
At Nacaome, a city in a northerly direction, eight leagues distant from the vol- 
cano, the same cloud was observed to rise at half-past six o’clock in a pyramidal 
shape. At half-past eleven on that day the darkness commenced, and at twelve no- 
thing whatever could be distinguished ; shortly before this a kind of ash had begun 
to fall, and at five o’clock had covered the earth to the depth of three inches. At six 
o’clock it fell in diminished quantity, and respiration became relieved. During the 
following night various undulations of different degrees of intensity were experi- 
enced, preceded either by heavy rumbling noises, or loud explosions. On the 21st at 
Nacaome the morning broke clear, but at eight o’clock the atmosphere became again 
thick and hazy, and during the twenty-four hours following, the volcanic matter con- 
tinued to fall, attended with repeated noises and undulations of the earth. The dark- 
ness continued to prevail during the 22nd, and the depth of the ashes was from four 
to five inches ; a fetid sulphurous smell proceeded from this deposit, which the 
