14
of the great road, and rolling towards
the sea. The stream soon divided again,
and, spreading itself with an increased cele-
rity, swept away many houses and the finest
plantations. The other branch, at first, took
the direction of Portici, which was threaten-
ed; but turning, and joining the preceding
cue, formed a sort of islet of boiling lava in
the middle, both ending in the sea, and com-
posing a promontory of volcanic matters.
In the space of twenty minutes the whole ex-
tent of ground which the lava occupied was
on fire, offering a terrible yet singular spec-
tacle, as the burning trees presented the as-
pect of white frames in contrast with those
of the volcanic matters, which were red. The
lava swept along with it enormous masses of
whatever occurred in its course, and on its
reaching the sea, nothing was to be seen or
heard for a great extent of shore besides the
boiling and hissing arising from the conflict
of the water and fire.
The eruption of 1806. took place without
any sensible indication, on the evening of the
31st of May, when a bright flame rose from
the mountain to the height of about 600 feet,
sinking and rising alternately, and affording
so clear a light, that a letter might have been
read at the distance of a league around the
mountain. On the following morning with-
out any earthquake preceding, as had been
