The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-05-17 00:00:00

-TRE,VOLCANO OF

[FROM AN AMERICAN PAPER.]
.• For the following very interesting account of a late
eruption of this Volcano of Alhay, the, Editors fiL
the Commercial • Advertiser. are 'indented to. *h4' po-
liteness of Capt. Bailey, of theschooner Claire, why
arrived on Monday, in 110 days from Mani*. This
volcanic moapt;dn. is situated iu the province of Ca,
ntpliikes, on thisouthern part of the Islaudof Lccou,
ar Luconta, one of the Philippine Isles iu the Indian.
Ocean.
Five populous towns were entirely destroyed by
the eruption; more-than twelve hundred of the in-
habitants perished amidst the ruins; and the twenty
thoawattil who survived the awful catastrophe, were
attipt of their possessions and reduced to beggary.
,Translated for the Commercial Advertiser, from
a pamphlet in the Spout' language, printed at Ma-
nilla.]
• 1/11.1•1113FUl. AND 111ENIOR IBLE OCC11111:ACE
THAI TOOL PLACE IN
,TIAZ PROVINCE OE CAMARLNES,
ON TOE an` DAY OFFER. 1814.

A. pastor, ts hose flock has buttered, end is now
et:ft:ring, the giealost calamities and miseries, comes
to implore, with an absolute confidence, the well-
known charity of ,t he inhabitants of these islands,
and ittlitieularly that of the highly respectable popu-
lation of this capital of Manilla; most earnestly sup-
plicatieg, in tee name of God, and of his most Holy
14lother, eachjndividual to relieve, according to his
ibility; the necessities' of my afflicted and horior
Stiicketsparishiontirs, the itiliabitants of the villages
of Captains and Butliao, in the province of Camarines,
•• o•hielt haVe been destroyed by the dreadful and ever
Memorable eruption Of. thit volcano of A!bay, that
happeue on the Ist day of the Month of February of
the'preseatt ytar„'of which, as an eye witness, I oiler
toltOpobliethf following relation :--
I:M'ure' than thirteen years had elapsed, during
which the roleano of Albay, -by somiscalled Mayon,
bail preserved a continued and profound silence,
without giving the least sign of its .existence.- It
was 410 Ibtiger viewed with that distrust and horror
with which volcanoes usually inspire those who in-
habit the vicinity. In the year 1800, its lastekup-
Cons took place, in which it emitted a great quantity
of stones, sand, and ashes, (as had always been
usual) and occasioned considerable damage to the
Same villages that it has now' completely destroyed ;
rendering useless a great number of fertile fields,
which thenceforth were converted into arid and
frightful Sands. 1n tbenletter
.part of October of
that year, the laSt eruption forppettell; SW' Cistised
more damage to-those tillages. •
Since that time we had not remarked any circum-
stance indicative of the existence of the volcano,
and therefore all the apprelteasion that it had for-
merly inspired was gradually distipating. Conse-
quently, its extensive and spacious side had been
Converted into a highly cultivated and beautiful gar-
tin. In particular, the inhabitants of Camalig and
udiao had planted upon it many cocoa-trees, and
ter ry.Listd of fruit-trees, with a variety of roots
ana vegetabres; which, while they afforded an agree-
gble..perspeetive, supplied, by their excellent pro-
ductidiis,• many induorious families with food.
In this state aas the volcano on the Ist day of
February last. No person reflected, in the slightest
decree, opow the daineges and losses that so bad a
neighbour had been in the habit of occasioning.—
We had become persuaded, in consequence of so
long a silence, that it Was now completely extin-
guished, and that all those subterraneous conduits
were closed, through which it attracted to itself and
kindled the combecible materials which it had for-
Merly so continually thrown out. Nor had we seen
or remarked any signs which might indicate to us
beforehand what WdS about to take place.—ln the
former eruptions, there were heard, a considerable
time prelims, certain subterraneous sounds that
were sure presages of them. It also emitted almost
continually a thick smoke, by which it announced'
them. oat upon the present occasion we remarked
nothing of this. It is true, that on the last day
of January we perceived son:e slight • shocks; but
we scarcely uoticed them, on account of their hay-
' ing been sery frequent, since the earthquake that
we experienced on the fifth of October 'of the year
e,igtrieen hundred and eleven. On Monday night
the sheets* increased. At two in the morning we
felt etre more violent thaw those we had hitherto ex-.
perienced. It was repeated at four, and from that
boor they were almost continual until the eruption
commenced. •

Toriday dawned, and !scarcely ever remarked at
Caruarinev a more serene and pleasant morning, or a
clettrevsky. I•observed, however, that the ridges
nearest to the volcano were covered with a mist,
that I supposed to be the smoke of some house
thereabouts that hail been on fire in the At
eight Volts& on that fatal morons, the volcano he-
pin suddenly 'to emit a thick column of stones, sand,
and ashes,. which with the greatest velocity was ele.
. vied in e moment to the highest part of the atmo.
sphere. At this sight we %sere astotii•lted. and filled
with the utmost dread, and especi.tll) when we ob-
seised that in arMnstatit the brow of tlu volcano
was covered by it. We had never seen a similar
'eruption, and were immediately convinced that a
river of fire was coming towards us, end was about
to consume us.

• l'he first thing that was done in my village ma; to

secure the Holy Sacrament from profanation, and be.
take ourselves to a precipitate flight. The swiftness
. with which that dreadful tide rolled towards us did
not give us much time either for reflection or con.
versation. The frightful noise that the volcano made}
•el u'Pd great terror, even in the stoutest hearts. We
'd ran terrified, and filled with the greatest dismay
- and consternation, endeavouring to reach the highest
:!‘id mcst distant places, in order to preserve ourselves
from imminent a danger. The horizon began to
darken, and our nnsieties redoubled. 'rhe noise of
the volcano continually increases ; the -darkness
Jii•gineevs; and we continue our flight for the
pre-
•:ration of. our lives, removing farther and farther
f. n :II an olijoct so terrific. But notwithstanding the
FAO iftstess with which welun, we are overtaken in
our disastrous fliiht by a heavy. shower of huge
slime., by the violelice of which many unfortunate
pi• sons are in a moment deprived of life. This
0 sort seen and cruel circumstance obliges us to
0,a1,e a pause in our career, and to shelter our-
.. under the heu.es, but flames and hut nt stones