The earth shook at the same time that a volley of stones
fell thick upon us; in an instant clouds of black smoke and ashes caused
almost a total darkness; the explosions from the top of the mountain
were much louder than any thunder I ever heard, and the smell of the
sulphur was very offensive. My guide, alarmed, took to his heels; and
I must confess that I was not at my ease. I followed close, and we ran
near three miles without stopping; as the earth continued to shake under
our feet, I was apprehensive of the opening of a fresh mouth which might
have cut off our retreat.
"I also feared that the violent explosions would detach some of the
rocks off the mountain of Somma, under which we were obliged to pass;
besides, the pumice-stones, falling upon us like hail, were of such a
size as to cause a disagreeable sensation in the part upon which they
fell. After having taken breath, as the earth trembled greatly I thought
it most prudent to leave the mountain and return to my villa, where I
found my family in great alarm at the continual and violent explosions
of the volcano, which shook our house to its very foundation, the doors
and windows swinging upon their hinges.
"About two of the clock in the afternoon (19th) another lava stream
forced its way out of the same place from whence came the lava of last
year, so that the conflagration was soon as great on this side of the
mountain as on the other which I had just left. I observed on my way to
Naples, which was in less than two hours after I had left the mountain,
that the lava had actually covered three miles of the very road through
which we had retreated.
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