The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-10-19 00:00:00

310 v I'r PESUMS.

/I AIME% sePT. 2s.
The recent eruption aria make the year 1810 an
epoch in the annals of Vesuvius, bu account of the
manner in winch it began, and the disasters it has
root need
It is considered as a very extraordinary encum-
stayer that this eruption was not preceded by the
shoot indications; every convulmaii of Vr:fortu, be-
ing previously announced by the drying up of the
wells of Naples. This phe,mmenon did not take
, place on this occasion ; and, to the great surprise of
the inhabitants, Vesuvius began to emit dames uu
the night of the 10th ofseptewber.
On the morning of the 11th the t tines became
more intense, and the lava began to How from the
east and south-east sides of the tootottein. To-

wards evening the conflagration increased, and
about twilight two grand streams of fire were seen
to flow down the ridge of the volcano: night pro-
duced no change in this state of things.

On the morning of the 12th a hollow sound was
heard. and has always been increasing ; the lire
and smoke have equally augineuted in intensity,
and towards evennig the horizon was obscured. 'Fhe
breeze, usual in these parts, Loving blown from the
suuth•east, dissipated the accumulated clouds. The
mountain continued to vomit lava and a dense
smoke, which even at a distance was strongly 'Ail-
pliurious ; the hollow noise in the sides of the
mountain continued to increase.

Curious to witness as near as possible one of the
most astonishing phenomena of nature, and for.
get*i.•6 the misfortune of Pliny. I set out froze
Naples, and at eight in the eve ~ ~ g I reiu:heil Por-
tici. From thence to the summit of the mountain
the road is long and difficult. • About half.-way
there is a hermitage, which has long served for re.
fuge and shelter to the traveller ; a good hermit
has there fixed his residence, mid takes Care to
furnish. for a moderate sun. refreshments, which
to the fatigued traveller are worth their •taght in
gold. The environs of this hermitage produce the
lemons wine called Larhrynsa Christi. From the
hikwitage to the fuut of the cone, there is a lung
quarter of a league of road, tolerably good ; but tu
order to reach from thence the crater! it. is neces-
sary to climb • mountain of cindery, where at every
step you sink up to the midsleg. It took my com-
panions, myself. and our guides, two hours to wake
this ea.:eta; and it wet already midnight viheu we
reached the crater.
The lire of the Volcano served us for a torch ;
the noise had totally ceased fur two hours; the
flame had also consider 'lily decreased: these cir-
cumstances augmented-our security, and supplied
us with the ueceasary confidence in traversing such
dangerous ground. We opproached as near as the
heat would permit, and we set fire to the sticks of
our guides in the lava. which slowly ran through
the hollows of the crater. The surface of this in.
Rained matter nearly reuewhles metal in a state of
fusion ; hut as it Rows it carries a kind of Scum,
which ha►dens as it cools, and then forms 'misses of
scuriab which dash against each other, mid ell all
on fire. with noise, to the font of the inottotain.—
Strong finites of sulphuric acid gas arise in abund-
ance from these scoria, soil by their caustic and
,penetrating qualities..remler respiration.difficulti
We seemed to be pretty secure in this situation,
and were Tar front *looking of retiring, when a
frightful explosion, which launched into the air
fragments of burning locks to the distance of more
than lon WIWI, reminded no of the (tonere to which
we were exposed. None of us hesitated • moment
in embraciiig is retreat; and in five minutes we
clearest in our descent a space of ground o hit If we
had taken two hour. to climb.
We had not teat had the hermitage before a noise
more frightful then ever was heard ; and the Vol-
cano, in all its fury.. began to laanch • mass equal
to sonic thousand cart-loads of stones, and frag-
ments of burning rock., with a projectile force
which it would be difficult to calculate. As the
projection was vertical, almost the whole of this
• burning mass tell back again into the mouth of the
Volcano, which votnitcsl it forth anew to receive it
again. with the exception of some fragments which
flew off, to fha at a distance, and alarm the inqui-
sitive spectatar, who ■voided them, as, on public
fetes, we avoid the handle of the rockets in our
fire-works.
The 13th commenced with nearly the same ap-
pearances as those of the preceding day. The Vol-
cano was tranquil, and the lava tan slimly in the
Channels which it had formed during the night ;
but at four in the afternoon, a frightful and con-
tinued accompanied with frequein explo-
sions. announced a new eruption ; the shocks of
the Volcano were so violent, that at Fort de 11*(1:bi;
bails upon a reek, where I then was. at the distance
of near ram leagues. I felt oscillations similar to
those produced by au earthquake.
About live o'clock the emotion commenced, and
continued during greater part of the u:ght. Thm
time the barniug matter Rowed down all sides of
the mountain. with a force hitherto unprecedented;
all Vesuvius was on fire. and the lava has caused
the greatest losses ; houses and whole estates have
been overwhelmed; and at this day families in tears
and reduced to despair search in vain for the inhe-
ritance of their ancestors, buricl suffer the destroy-
ing I
At ten at. night the hermitage was no longer ac-
cessible; • river of tire had obstructed the road.
The districts situated on the south-east quarter of
the mountain had 'till more to suffer. Mount Ve-
suvius was no huger irhy thing but one vast flame;
and the seaman at a great distance might contem-
plate. et his leisure, this terrific illumunition of ua-
ture

The perlfrB recently placed at the head of the
Doke of Cumwsittaixti. tittaiititte 'mints, by tits
Royal Higltuta. me Motto. !

Al the Sessions for Nottingham, on Thurs.lay last.
!same Eaton, apprentice to Ititts arD S►Y[t!t. East-
wood, for eulisting in the atith Itriptuent, and
falsely stating in the presence of the Rev. Dr.
Wirt.P6, that he was not an apprentice, wee sen-
tenced to sic months? hard labour an the Douse of
Corrwctioo. It u•ay be necessary here to observe.
as a caution. wet the law directs that ail operetta
tiers who pie f:tr tieldiers, dot taring that they are
not no. shall br IsaMq afte► thaprisontuent, to seise
thr full tim• of their apprenticeship. and be COD-
rd as ssilthiss at the expiration thereof. -