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about 15, who from either age or infirmity could not be moved, and were overwhelmed by the lava in their houſes) eſcaped either to Caſtel-a-mare, which was the ancient Stabiae, or to Naples; but the rapid progreſs of the lava was ſuch, after it had altered its courſe from Reſina; which town it firſt threatened, and had joined a freſh lava that iſſued from one of the new mouths in a vineyard, about a mile from the town, that it ran like a torrent over the town of Torre del Greco, allowing the unfortunate inhabitants ſcarcely time to ſave their lives; their goods and effects were totally abandoned, and indeed ſeveral of the inhabitants, whoſe houſes had been ſurounded with lava while they remained in them, eſcaped from them, and ſaved their lives the following day, by coming out of the tops of their houſes, and walking over the ſcoriae on the ſurface of the redhot lava. Five or ſix old nuns were taken out of a convent in this manner, on the 16th of June, and carried over the hot lava; their ſtupidity was ſuch, as not to have been the leaſt alarmed, or ſenſible of their danger: one of upwards of ninety years of age was found actually warming herſelf at a point of redhot lava, which touched the window of her cell, and which ſhe ſaid was very comfortable; and though now apprized of their danger, they were ſtill very unwilling to leave the convent, in which the had been ſhut up almoſt from their infancy, their ideas being as limited as the ſpace they inhabited. Having been deſired to pack up whatever they had that was moſt valuable, they all loaded themſelves with biſcuits and ſweetmeats, and it was but by accident it was diſcovered that they had left a ſum of money behind them, which was recovered for them.
The lava paſſed over the center and beſt part of the town; no part of the cathedral remained above
