The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-09 00:00:00

ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS.

NAPLES, KAT 2.
Everything in Naples is for the present extin-
guished by one great fact—the eruption of Vesuvius.
King, Ministers, and policemen, in their leveret
spheres, are all scorched and shrivelled up into no-
thingness. lam disposed to think that a Neapolitan
might now wear • girdle round his waist, or a beard,
or a wide-awake, so all-ab,orbing is the eruption of
Vesuvius. We have been expecting and longing for
it for some time. The well' at Resins had been
dried up. More than once since 1830, the moun-
tain has thnodered and smoked, and in the begin-
ning of the year • portion of the crater fell in.
Great numbers of strangers have, therefore, waited
till very late in the season, in the hope of seeing
this extraordinary spectacle, and have just taken
their leave, when the mountain. as in " dis-
petto," breaks out. The principal guide, who is
called Conalino, reported on the morning of
the Ist May that he had just ascended the mountain,
and that on arriving at the summit there were a
thousand reports as of cannon, and then was thrown
up a discharge of red-hot stones. The rain and mist,
and smoke, however, all mingled together, prevented
a near approach or nearer ob lion, and we are,
therefore, for the present left to our unaided obser-
vations. During the whole of yesterday nothing was
to be seen but smoke and cloud, which enveloped not
only the mountain but the whole coast, and then swept
away in immense volumes towards Capri. In the very
centre of the cloud, however, might be seen an ashy
sulphsrous coloured plain, which, by a shade dif-
ference in the colour, and by the well marked outline,
indicated that it was not all smoke, but that lava
was coming down. As evening came on the heavens
were in a bright glow, and the whole population
flocked down to the mole of Santa Lucia, to see
the magnificent spectacle. It was one of those on-
' defined scenes which give the imagination full play.
The form of the mountain was indistinguish-
able, nothing was to be seen but clouds,
Make, and fire. Up to the very zenith the
Mask
was covered with large bulbous clouds,
Mask u ink, and fringed with white; under-
Math, and half-way down the mountain, everything
mason fire, whilst right in the centre of it shot up a
efts of black smoke. Still lower again, dark clouds
weed the base of the mountain, having, too, as
their entre-piece and contrast the river of lava which
is running down towards Resins. A few days since
I was exploring with the miners, among the
ruins which still lie buried under the modern
city. The neighbouring mountain was rumbling and
snaking, and referring the inhabitants, as it were, to
the history of the past, but they took no notice of it,
ad I doubt whether they now do so, except to ce-
llulite the amount of pt it may bring in to them ;
liar an eruption of Vesseins is to them as good as a
use to the London thieves. During the whole of the
bet night there was a perfect procession of carriages
Sowards Resins. I contented myself with re-
maining here for the first view, but probably
*all go over to-night, and will send you farther
details by Saturday's boat. The scene was rendered
still grander by an eclipse of the moon, which took
place about two hours and a half after midnight.
A report is circulated that his Majesty wes shot at
on the lag day of the late review at Capita. It is
said that the ball passed near enough to be heard.
I doubt the fact. I believe it more probable that it
was an accident on the part of a soldier in loading
with& blank cartridge. What is certain, I think, is,
that the King immediately after broke up the
camp. For a punishment, the whole regiment
was sent back to Naples on foot, instead
of returning, as usual, by railway. The sol-
dier was put under arrest, and the colonel of the
arent wasprimanded for the bad discipline of
n re
. Another fact is that on Monday last a large
Plsdmootese steam-frigate, laden with troops, came
nearly into port, and after making the round of the
shore went off again. The Sardinian colours were
lying, and the band was playing the national air.
General Marmara was, it is added, on board. There
was no communication with the shore as far as I can
bear. This demonstration is the more remarkable
at the present moment when the Consul-General of
Naples at Genoa has just been deprived of his
exequattar, and the Corriere Mercantile speaks of the
conduct of the Consul as declaring the two countries
, Ito be in a state of war.
Four per Cents. rising at 104 j. Exchange, 334.