Star.
London, England, 1806-07-24 00:00:00

ERUPTION OF MOUNT VASUFIUL

EXTRACT Ur • PRIVATR LETTER, DATED WAPLIE,
JUNE 6.
On the 3 tft of lag month we enjoyed, for the firft
time, the ipedacle of an eruption of Vefuvitts. A
column of very black fmoke rote from the crater
about ten o'clock t Mites now and then bull from
this column; at length the eruption appeared in a
mafs of flame, of immenfe diameter, and occupying
the whole stall extent of the crater. This mafs was
kept by foe tEr MIT of art)* efh flame,whicb
up ce C I ions t
as it rote into the air, aftlimed a more intente red
colour. Ignited or melted fulsilances, Come of which
were opaque, were projected with violence above
this body of fire, and often fell beyond the circum-
ference of the crater. At midnight there was not as
yet any current of lava, but frequent rumblings were
heard. .

On the IR of June, the eruption continued the
whole morning, and we refc,lved to 'ilk the moun-
tain the following night.
We let out at eight in the evening. We took horfe
at Refina, near the defcent to Herculaneum, and'
proceeded towards the relidence of the hermit. The
honfe in which he lives is flowed near the fouthern
peak of Mount Somma, being an eafy ride of an hour
and.a halt from Relina.
On leaving the hermitage, we proceeded acrol the
•alley which feparates Somma from Vefuvius, and is
known by the appellation of Akin del Cavallo.—lt
is of no great depth, being almoft entirely filled
with the lavas of fitccave eruptions, piled one
above another. At length ye reached the toot of
Vefuvius, where we lett our horfes and began to
afcend rm foot. _ _ -

The declivity is very fleep, and difficult of afcent,
on account of the moveable nature of the ground on
which you walk, being nothing but a mixture dallies
and fragments of lava, without continency. After
great fatigue we reached the fumatit, and arrived at
one of the edges of the crater.
We had been lighted the whole way by eruptions
of the mountain, which were projeCted to a very
great height. Violent rumblings that were continu-
ally heard, added to the grandeur and the awfulnefs
of the fpeCtacle, which appeared much more beauti-
ful and majenic from the point to which we bad
climbed with fu notch difficulty.
Sulpended as it were on the brink of the crater,
nothing ,nterpofed to prevent our view of the crop.
tions. We beheld inimenle manes of flame inning
almoll from under our feet, riling above the clouds,
and carrying with them, to the fame height, Mowers
of ignited hones, which generally defcended, nearly
in a perpendicular direCtion, into the very mouth of
the crater ; but fometimes falling beyond its brink,
rebounded around us, and rolled, red hot, down the
declivity which we had climbed. Columns of fire,
clouds of Imoke, and (hewers of hones, lucceeded
each other, without interruption, accompanied by
continual tittnerraneous noifes; the bowels of the
mountain feemed convulfed ; the ground on which
we hood (hook, and threatened to fink beneath our
feet. Never had we beheld a snore melancholy image
of the convulti,ns of nature, and notwirhitanding the
rick we incurred from the continual falling of the
aunts, we could fcarcely be prevailed uron to leave it.
Our guides, who were better judges et the danger
than ourfelves, now became alarmed, and urged us
to defcend.
rhe violence of the volcano had increafed fince we
reached the fummir, and the Power that pretides over
the place, teemed inclined to punith Di for our auda-
city, and for having prefumed to violate his 'lumen•
dour abode.
We accordingly defeended, and in a few minutes

---
Striteed at the Aldo del Cavallo. We were out of
apch of danger, and were enabled to contem-
plate, without apprehenflon, the objets by which Me
were furrounded. What an admirable tpectaele !
Over our head, the volcano, with its Imokiag lava
rulhing down the fides of the mountain; before us,
the lea fmooth and calm; the full moon illumining
with her mild beams the extremity of the horizon ;
,the clouds anclehe fmoke walled around the fummit
eif the mountain, and concealing, few a few moments,
the welt conflagration. which appeared again more
Seely and more brilliant ; this fuccediun of lights
mad fhades, this contrail of turbulence and tram/od-
a', this folitude in the arida of fuel: a Taft canto'
son, produced a multitude of contrary inspreffions
that cannot be defcribed, but the recollettion of which
will never be valid.
We returned about four in the morning to Naples,
having fpent eight hours in the excurGon.
On she feconi, the eruption continued the whole
day, with much greater violence than before ; two
currents of lava were formed; one of thae flopped
in the morning—the other, taking an eaflern courfe,
fpread with great rapidity, and deluged the plain.—
As our excurfion of the preceding night had not en-
abled us to form any idea concerning the progrefs of
the lava, we fet out again to obferve this extraordi-
nary phenomenon.
Pang though the villages of Partici, Refinasand
I Torre del Greco, we entered inclofures, confiding
of vineyards and corn fields, into which the lava had •
penetrated ; we approached the current, and I was
furptifed to find the progrefs of the lava In different
from the conception I had formed of it.
I had always imagined that the fubflonce of the
lava, refembling melted gbh, ran in the fame
manner, and advanced uniformly like a river of fire ;
I and indeed it is extremely probable, that iu a great
number of eruptions, it actually exhibits this appear-
ance. On the prefent uccalion, I law nothing but
an accumulation of Hones, Come of which were of
prodigious magnitude, heaped one upon another, to
the height of aft:en or twenty feet, and about h;lf a
mile in breadth. This formidable mail advanced
(lowly, following a progrelfion produced folely by
the falling of the different bodies, between which
there was no adhelion, and which, in obedience to
the impulfson they had received ou ilfuing from the
crater, rolled from the molt elevated point, and co-
vered the ftuface of another flraturn. In this manner
the flosses rolled over, one upon another,i ill the front
rank having attained the fame height as that which
produced it, began in its turn to pour down the ig-
nited bodies that came tumbling upon it.
All this intelline motion was accompanied with a
noife refembling the decrepitation of faits, but much
MOM loud and briar,. The fire was fed by various
combußible matters, as fulphur, bitumen, and metals,
which might be known by their flames; but there was
no appearance either of complete tolion or of the com-
mencement of it. The flosses refilled the preffsre of
a hick, which I leveret times endeavoured, but io
vain, to thrall into them.
Meanwhile the devollation occafioned by the pro.
grefs of this torrent prefented a horrid fpeetacle. The
trees which (upported the vines, and the vines them-
felves, were burned by the extreme heat of this macs
of matter, even before it reached them ; and tfe
bright and clear light produced by their combuflion,
indicated the axed contour of the progrefs of the lava.
The walls of inclofures, and of houfes, calcined by
the heat, crumbled to pieces before this moving
mountain, or were thrown down by the force of the
impullion. Sometimes, however, initead of overturn-
ing an obllacle, the lava turned aide, and left it
flooding ; for this variety of action it is impullible to
affign any reafon.
After we had contemplated this difmal and alto-
? Wising light, we went up to the convent of the Ca
maldulenfes, lituated on a kind of peak, of confi-
derable height, that overlooks the whole plain.
which extends from the South to the Weft, from
the foot of Mount Vefuviu► to the fez. This build-
ing has hitherto been (pared, as vo.ll as the thick
wood in which it is embofomed. It is one of the
neared points to Vefuvius, and that from which you
arc belt able to difcover and trace the progrefs of
the lava. It is the afylnm to which the wretched
inhabitants of the defolated plaits have often fled.
with their moll valuable diet% ; to which they have
driven their flocks, and conveyed their wives and
children.

Here we Raid a eon liderable time ; our view ex-
tended over the declivity of Vefhvius, from which
ran feveral currents of lava, that iffoed from the
fides of the mountain ; enormous flames of fire,
of which we had a nearer profpeCt the night before,
darted continually from its fununit. 'We had like.
wife a view of the plain, in which appeared the lung
windings of the rivers of fire. The reddifis reverbe-
ration of the lava, and the conflagration in the plain,
1 illumined the landfcape. On every fide appeared
the image of defolation ; but yet it exhibited a pie-
101re fo fplendid, a fcene fo magnificent, that the
' ravages with which it was attended were entirely
forgotten in the contemplation of its piaurefque and
poetic beauty. In fhott, when my mind figures to
itfelf thole fiery torrents, the motion of the lava,
the fubterranernts thunders, thole continual hiffings,
fo many wonders, fo many fubjeets of grief and ad-
-1 miration, I fhould think that a dream had decals,.
'ed me, if the imagination, which produces fuch
dreams, were capable of creating images Co awful
and to grand.
On the 3e, the eruption continued, and the lava
I Rill advanced; the detonations were louder Al:4.1111CM
1 eleetricity of the air, And of the cionds, which smit-
gedrenagterdjhri: Iniglit the
, c
attractingeveningl.lll:
afrdemqueesniht cohtantothae parielic
I ted iplcndid flathe'.
On the 4th the et uption was VI violent.
On she sth, Vetievius began to throw out Ash
which, we are affured, announces the uniewfies
the stuptioa...iiiiiaritcer, yttits as, t 806.,

FRANCE.

PARIS, JULY ts.
Letters from Commercy mention, that the gaming-
table at Verdun was (but up on the sd influnt, to the
great joy of the public funCtionaries and the citizens.
On the evening that this took place, while all well.
intentioned people were applauding, in the bofnms of
their families, this paternal aft of the Government,
fosse bolent !piths, as yet unknown, betrayed their
joy, or rather their diffetkfation, by breaking the
windows of the boufe where the bank was held.

SWEDEN.
STRALSUND; JUNE at.
The circurnfiances in which we find ourfelves, and
particularly the raifing of the Pomeranian militia, in
conkquence of the difficulties which this meafure has
enenuntered, have produced a change of the Go-
vernment and Conaitution of the country. The King
of Sweden, believing that he had reafon to complain
of the conduit of the Regency and States of Uppip:
Pomerania on this mafiosi, has not only deems.
thefe authorities diffolved, but has, at the fame time,
annulled the Conflitution which governed the Ger-
man States of his Majelly.
The King, after haying pronounced this diffolution
of the faid bodies, and abrogated the Pomeranian
Contlitution, has decreed, that his German poref-
fions (ball be governed by the laws in force in the
Kingdom of Sweden, and that the Pomeranian, gild
Swedes Ihail henceforth form one people.
Theft - have comnienced

-paid _changes . awe ____ by the
depufition of the Members of the Regency of the
Duchy, who have been deprived of their funaions by
a Royal Order of the t Bth inllant. This order con-
tained in a letter, addreffed on the fame day, by his
Majelly to the Governor-General, Baron d'Elien,
was publicly communicated next day by the Gover-
nor to the Members of the Regency. The Military
Chief of Swedifb Pomerania, conformably to the ul.
tericr pleafure of the King, has, at the fame time,
'abased the Civil Government of this Province.—
Two days after, he addreffed the following Procla-
mation to the inhabitants:-
1r 05051 OF HIS MAJISTY Tall SING OF SWIM., J.
JIAN lIFWIII BARON 0111355 MARIS KNOWN. &C.
" NM Mairity, my melt inclose Wog sod levereigti. booby
easdefeended to appoint as to earl. be yublibed, • mord
Proclamation relative to the hprillea of be Perstentis Re-
zeney,—That I may fulM tbis •••111. I oohs b * oom he A in-
Übtaiots that his Majelty bee Whom* use, slew irt the
ath Wham. bet he ierrool. ebb idyl* rod that.
daring the doilberedeue olabliady tusk mils ibljed or
the Appeal letbeated by be leder die ado ot a
provincial tabu in Pooreulk On otelet Poe of do Marv
ef die were chew* with a dbledisene. In
fres die "der prid~_ by 1111 --
1111. tbe ICIal, In mew to moan Wei totem
bibs sioeteid is Mum bee Mad k props Is abbe* Pe-
eserodan Reseasy, al so do* see. Is imislueses, will) the
Caen/mutes pt Ms eeders. be bean. tanistent A be German
States. The *raid War OW Melody_ was pdli* rend on
the i gib Ind. in pretense at lb ei &y ea* afteh et the Re-
gency; A. IsseNessiresiedistely cad.
" he ,scene 01 mks perm will Mai be bbardythe Mpg hes
invaded in the wow aferdeld.l give phis adioll to alt
the IdaUtaena of Poo tests, the. they mom ebsodivie to
die Payall Oubseeseeft eat hi ordessenah Minh to we all
b+jse, 'bleb weld) Vend* bin bemyrefulted to the
*awe but to bd, oetwlthaandhodeplestes to the
• - MOW* et that Regency.
a Done Is the Fenn& of &ram& Jose at. Tto6.
. (Stow) a• Weer DISSENT,
" J. C. 51N2110.-
The Regency of the country being denoted, and
the Military Governor already in polrefEnn of his
hot:lions, his Majelly, on the s6th of June, addreffed
a fecund letter to him, by which his Majelly *bola-
ed the Conilitution, and diffolved the States of the
Province, in order that they Gould be re placed by
the laws and the Conflitutional Authorities of Swe•
den. Here follows the letter, which put the lett hand
to theft remarkable changes, and which has been
publithed entire :
r. With concern we have law ibesperceived, that all the pate
and folicitude that we have be. err ipsd In fee the profperity of
our faithful Poosenslan fulled,. Mee Men with unexpedted dr.
li.olnes in their execution; which howee&hw tut the ful-
filment of our benevoleot views, or reterded Ihidied. by cond.
awl delay., end a reeourfe upon wiry oetaill. IS armlet* oriel.
lege.. We are the more convinced et the impededinos of the
preient Conititution, from the ossiliktrades of Ski &VW ' of
ladultry, and the Mamie of penlades. Is lb* tubers
all thole Manacles have ceded, orbielt bliesorado . war
ges4/11
German States of thole :Mimes of prellgoltp Ilasemilliff lo • "AO
organised State. We have lately bed a irdh at the
roes confequenees of the Keen, order et s our ordellarlifoe;
railing the Pomeranian Mu de, in eselliosese s very usfultable
laci
interptetatlaa, has been referred by die NOM di the cralinnadon
of the Trlbsiods oldie hatpin, at a doe oboe the enemy threat-
coed the treaders et the Cetietry.
m TIN eaellderat lon of belt briportaet to—the late events
which have awearred--eod a deem to tztlthtMte the heady of
the country, have reduced as to the eerelity et awaiting, otleg
the ConD.itution which has hitherto pushed ow deresen SUMO
do ceafe (runs this day; that the Premise. lutes sad Commie
arc diffolved, and that all initiation') Meth; shoran be *SW
for ever.' But It, oo the one band, we have been breed to lie
this refolution, on the other we with to prose, bet Our edy ills
tip is to keen: the Ware profferity sf our GM.. flibjed4 sal
not to affume to ourfelves oppreffive rlglats ; and et 1)/A we liana
thought that we could not give a more melon* peed deo by
intreolueing the/feted& Cooftitsdon into our Gersten Omen As
King of Wee people, and as obeying only the law,we feels parti-
cular Online In preparing a bappier fate for our Ambled* M Po-
merania and Rugen. Equal, both In rcfpetit of their duties to us,
.red In their immunities and privileges ' • proteded by Jolt laws.
they will no longer form a body leparsted from the &wed& peo-
ple ; but will, on the contrary, enjoy In fraternal *awn the benefits
'f a Conftitution which has eftabliked, foe ages, the isesuity
sol
that people.
. We ordain, by this Adt. that the Conftkutlon sidle klettledl
at Sweden of the sift of Auguft ma; the AU, of Union ands,
liecurity of the et n of February, and A of April 5 illq ; thepri-
•o- et, and intalUtlit la grained to the foot nate' of Sweden, and !
thr inw of that itinedon., be ill future the fundamental and con. '
IllOutiabal lam of our German States. We ordain, that• all the
bccrlfary thloofithaus be made to pet this Aft in execution, On
ton otesf.on, we, howtver, declare, in the moR Memo manner,
t., our Pmtranian fubjoit • . that they Oil never be NW ?chg. ei-
ther for the 'trefoil or the future. to the payment of the olcbta of
t.... kingdom • Swell, n or to the Imports which have relo ion to
I, Moreever, If any thug *mold occur which refpeds, peculiarly
sod property. Pomerania and Kutch, and on which, conformably
to the Swodi& Liman noon. we ought to bear the hamble luppli-
fatiOoll of the Reprefentatives of the country, we will convoke
ih.at lnc General oict. in the estuary Weir; this convocation,
ftr win. we &all give ulterior ceden,llsall 1 e held without de-
ity . and it will inn fatietadicm rat our heart, to fee affeatbittl
r.iund tear Thture• faithful people, who, 110 bagel' led Any by •
ehenplieaud C'onflitution, and lulling the dutiesat lubjeds, will
f-e .nal, 17 their allillauee, our paternal efforts fur their prorperay,
1 . which we &all find our 'sighed. recommence. '
•• flew the Royal bead quarters at Grtehavaid, June ..11106"
(Signed) " GUS 'AVM 41)01-WiLle."
GRIEFSWALD, JULY 1 •• • • . . .
'rite Swedifh head-quarters ate fill here. On the
a.li initant, a Royal Ordonnance appeared. by which
.1;41 fctvice if to be totally aboliiked in Swath&
.meran:a.

1741. r.

LEGHORN, JUNE ii.
Since the entrance of 8000 French troops into
Rome. detached from the Neapolitan army, the ►u.
moor of force approaching change, and the depar•
ture of the Pope for Turin, continue►.

NAPLES, JUNE as.
King Jofeph has already ordered, that the unfs.r.
tunate perfons reeding near Vefavius, who have 101 l
their fubflance in confequence of the•late eruption,
(hall be indemnified out of the Rural Treafury.—
Thole who no longer chufe to refide in in dangerous
a neighbourhood, are advifed to remove to Apu-
snore fruitful, but lets cultivated past of the'
country.
MILAN. JUNE 3s.
With the exception of the Venetian provinces,
moll all the troops that were in Italy, have left it for-a
different deftinatinns. Mae, and the frontier pro-
vinces. contain Gen. Marmont's whole corps, and a
diviflon of the army formerly belonging to Mafiena.
In the mean while, reinforcements are continually ar-
riving from Piedmont, and the fouthern provinces,
molly confcripts but we likewife expel tome re-
gular rigiments. Troops are likewife advancing
thrones Nice, and by way of Genoa, molly towards
Naples. while others take the route of Dalmatia.—
The objet of all thefe movements remains a mile-
ry, and will probably depend upon the Wilt of the
pending negotiations.
VENICE, JULY se.
'The enemy,• who threatened to blockade us, will
be much furprifed, when, betides the light fquadron
already at tea, they perceive another, of [officio&
Ilrength for the defence of the Adriatic and both its
lhores. We are extremely attire in the arfenal, and
learnt': voluntarily Inter into our ferrite.

GENOA. JULY a.
One hundred and fifty Neapolitan Galley-Raves re.
wilted againft the guard, as they were corning oat
of Parma. They killed fame of them, feixed their
army, and made off towards the coati, in the hope of
finding velTels. They are, however, clofely purlued,
and meafures have been fo well taken, that there is
realm to card not one of them will &ape,.
ROME, JULY E.
The people of the States of his Holineri, after hav-
ing fccn the French army of Naples, and all the re-
inforcements which were fent tot, pals through their
territory, now fee a part of there troops treading
back their Reps, in order to guard the ports of that
Pontiff. About the middle of the prefent ninnthil
different French and Italia', corps have arrived ati
Rome from the kingdom of Naples, and are gone to
occupy Civita Vecchia. and the other points on the!
Wettern coal} of the Papal State, in order to preemie
the approach of Engliflt and Ruffian sterols. The
Eaftern coal} of the State of the Church has alto
been occupied within the tall month by French and
Italian troops. They form at prefent the garrifone
of Ancona, and of all the Papal harbours on the?
Adriatic. Betides the French and Italian corps,
which have newly marched by the way of Rume to
the neighbouring co:lls, other corps of the fame na.
lions alto pals through this capital, coming, in like'
manner, from the Neapolitan frontiers. It is laid that
there lad will repair to Leghorn.
Rums itfelf, fince the paging of there troops has
crated. has no longer foreign troops within her walls,
and continues to enjoy complete tranquillity. But
there took place. fall month, in this capital, a dit:t-
Enable incident, which, but for the firmnefs dif
played on the occafion by the Holy See, might have
dillorbed its, repofe, and been attended with the moll
fatal contequences io the whole Rate. On the 7th
ult. a man, twenty-eight years of age, a botcher by
profeMon, having met two Frenchmen in the Ilreet,
without any provocation on their part, laid hold of a
knife from the neighbouring Rumbles, and (tabbed
one of them behind. This attempt excited a confi-
derable uproar among the people, and appeared to
the Government deferring of exemplary punithment.
Tbt culprit was therefore immediately arretted, tried
by martial law, and executed on the 9th, in the
fquare of Sr.ngelo.

The reduBionof Gaeta by the French army of
Naples till remains to complete the conqueß of that
kingdom. According to advices from Naples of June
23, every thing was prepared for the purpofe of mak-
ing a vigorous attack upon that place. The formi.
debts batteries ereaed againfi it fecund to enfure
fuccefs. One hundred pieces of cannon, and twenty
five mortars, only waited for orders to make a
breach, and to prepare for the ;dhoti. The Com,
mandant of the fortrefs, even while per filling in the
etiolation to defend himfelf to the lafl extremity, fitr-'
nithed a vifible proof that he dcfpaired of maintain.
ing it much longer againft the efforts of the be-
fiegers : be has embarked aqd tranfporied to Sicily
the moll valuable articles that were to be found in
the place. Io the 'mean time, the fire of Gaeta has
again deprived the French of an Officer. of diftin-
guilhed bravery and talents, in the Perfon of hi. Del
Vollclongue, an Officer of &Dissects, who, having
been wounded in the head by *ONO thrown from dm'
fortrefs, died a fcw hours after, to the great regret of
the whole army. On the 6th of lift month, in con.
legumes of a general fortie by the gartifon, both par.
tics were engaged in more than one place in the en.
virons of Gaeta, and moll ferioufiy on the neighbour.
ing coat. A corps of Englifit, lately difembarhed
in the port of, the Cottrell, took a fhare in this fortie,
which was befide.:. feconded by the Britith vac's of
war, with which Sir Sidney Smith, having arrived
from Gibraltar fn thefe latitildes, has been cruising
Int tome weeks. However, this fortie, though• it did
fome injur/ to the befiegefi, turned out to the difacb
vantage of the befieged. It was effeeed in three co-
lumns. of which the frrll, partly compofed of Englifh
and paltry of Neapolitans, was conveyed by tea, and
punted on to the ditiance of fix miles from Gaeta.—
There the chief part of this detachment feizei upon ,
the little fart of St. Andre. fituated on tire geest road
to Naplei, audfpiked the cannon ; but were tpecdily
attacked by a French corps, who made prifonets five
Englith and between 8o and too Neapolitans. The
remainder of this detachment were equally unable
to refill. the force which was oppofed to them, and
were obliged to retire in hafie to the mountains, in
order to regain the place. The other two columns,
under the commend of the Prince of Heffe Philipßohl
himftlf, confined themfclves to au attack of the WOrks
crated by the French, under the walls of the f‘flielf,
and retired after a night

k

TRW" PM go.
General Couet Beltegarde, wias is to receive the
filmes of Cattaro from theßulans, failed from this
port cm the sad init.
The action between the Montenegrins and the
French, took place near Old Raguta on the Bth
init. after which, the former not only concentrated
themfelves, but were reinforced and drew towards
the capital, Ragufa. Their manner of making war
is ♦ery ferocious. as they are profaned by their
Whop, rewards for all the heads of their enemies
they (hail bring in, at the rate of two ducats for a
common man, and fo in pcoportion for different
ranks, to the head of a General, which is rated at
too ducats.

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