The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-09 00:00:00

THE ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS.

NAPLES, MAY 31.
Since Saturday the eruption bas proceeded with,
constantly increasing violence, and has presented,
at night a more and more magnificent spectacle.
[n my last letter I mentioned that there issued
from the great basin of fire in the Atrio a single
stream of lava, which, after a tortuous course, was:
descending the declivity of the mountain. Thlo
stream has continued its course, varying in breadth
according to the accidents of the ground, and aeons
now to direct itself to a point between Portici arid
TOrre del Greco, but much nearer the latter thane
the former. It approaches close to the scattered
farmhouses which lie above the towns at the Wt,
of the mountain, many of which it can scarcely fail
to destroy. . _

In the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday tyro
other streams of lava broke out of the great bat3ie,
and are descending the mountains towards the'
neighbourhood of Portici. These streams seem t 0
follow the direction of ravines, which rim nearli
parallel to the ridge on which the Observatory mod'
the Hermitage stand. These buildings have been•
hitherto saved from submersion by the lava hi
their great elevation, the fluid naturally followiog,
the direction of the lower ground at either side
them.
Last night the spectacle was peculiarly • grant
and imposing. The lava was poured in increase"
quantity along each of the streams already est 3.-
Wished, and being in a high state of incandesencel
presented a peculiarly splendid appearance.
At about 8 o'clock an immense torrent of lava
broke over the ridge which confines the basin °/
craters, in the direction of the Somma ; it floss'
down the declivity of the Somma as an immense
torrent of liquid fire, and with such extraordiel
rapidity that in less than an hour it had desceoae
through a considerable portion of the mountai3;
Its progress was then retarded, partly by the dial'
nished steepness of the ground, and partly 1:0:
transverse ravines which must be filled before If:
fluid can advance. Nothing could exceed i
splendour of this torrent of liquid fire, forming
es:
fourth principal stream of lava ; but the most .
traordinary burst of splendour which has been P.
seated since the commencement of the eruPtilis
took place soon after 9 o'clock, when all the molt I
seemed to be simultaneously called into viols%
action, and to vomit forth such torrents of 10
that the entire mountain seemed one blaze of fire
_
the varied colours produced in different parr"
owing probably in part to reflection, presentel4
beautiful and striking appearance. The lurid liguA
cliffu,ed from this enormous burning mass rendersr
visible the subjacent country, the town., the coat'
and the bay.
On each night several thousands of persons of all
ranks, from the peer to the peasant, urged by C,1,1;
riosity, repair to the scene of this exeraorcliot;
spectacle. The darkness being complete, and ti`
route in many parts difficult, each party is far'
Dished with a torch, and the view of these hung
dreds of ti robes flitting about between the streswes
*of lava is most curious, presenting the appear°.
of multitudes of fireflies.
The Hermitage, which is close to the great basil;
of craters and rivers of lava, is approached bir
tolerably pod carriage road, and, as may he trig:
posed, hundreds of vehicles of every descriPtly
from the caleche of the millionnaire to the ho__:llliit,
coiicolo, are collected there towards oldw,gfeli.e
Donkey parties abound, of which ladies do not
to form a part.
AIN 1,1;00
The eruption is splendid ! There are t'"dus
streams of lava, which begin just between Irestl' 0
and Somma ; we went as near as possible ;tad
climbed to the top of a ridge of lava which sof
begun to cool, but it required all the carefulee°l9o
our guides to prevent our burning our feet 0ff..40-
our way down we went to the top of the Obse,;`a ;
t Ty, whence the view of the lava was spleno:vo
the middle was flowing as fast as water ; there 00
a rayed reflection in the smoke which was juBt ton
the Aurora Borealis in Scotland. The eruP,,ere
began last Wednesday night ; the lava begins sciP
it did in 1855. There were thousands of penPeAt
the mountain ; it was an extraordinary scene. the
the end of one of the streams of lava, that on
os A
Castellamare side of the Hermitage, there ri ere
ceremony, I suppose to stop the lava. There vi
a saint and some priests in attendance.