Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-02-25

viewing this wonderful exertion of nature, I
I embarked on the third day of May, accom-
4 panied by the British consul, and ten other
gentlemen for St. George; we ran over in
| five. hours, and arrived at Vellas, the pfin-
]. ci7al town, at II A. NJ. We found thcpoor
! inhabitants perfectly pane struck, and who'll
! ly given up to religious ceremonies and de-
votion. We learned that the FIRE ofthe first
OF May had broken out in a ditch, IN the
midst Of the fertile pastures, 5 leagues Sc.
of Vellas, and had immediately formed a
{ crater, in size about twentY-foar acres. In
two days, it had thrown out cinders, or
small pumice stones. that strong NE. wind
had propelled soniherlg; and which, inde-
pendent OF the mass accumulated round the
! crater, had covered the earth from one foot
to four feet in depth, half a league in width
and three in lengsh; then passing the chan
nj leagues, had done some injury 10 the
east point Of pico. The fire of this large
crater had nearly subsidized, but in the even
ing preceding our arrival, another small cra-
ter had opened, one league north Of the
large one, and only two leagues from Vel
las. After taking some Refreshments, we
visited the second crater, the sulphureous
smoke of which, driven sousherly, render
ed It inpracticablr to attempt to approach
the large one. When we came within
mile OF the crater, we found the earth
rent n every direction and as we ap-
preached nearer, some of the chasms were
SIX feet wide. By leaping over some of
these chasrns, and making windings to avoid
the large ones, we at length arrived within
two hundred yards of the spot and saw i
In the middle Ola pasture distinctly at inter-
vsls, when the thick smoke which swept the
earth lighted up alittle. The mouth CT it
was only abou, fifty yards in circumference.
the FIRE seemed struggling for vent the
force with whicha pale blue flame issued
forth resembled a powerful steam engine,
multiplied an hundred fold the noise was
dcafening the earth where we stood had
! tremuious motion, the whole island seemed
CONFUSED, horrld blowings were occasional
ly heard from the bowels of the earth, and
earthquakes were frequent. After remain
ing here about ten minutes, we returned to
town !; the inhabitants had mostly quilted
or under tents. We passed the night
at Vellas, and the next morning went
by water 10 ursulina, small seaport
town, two leagues south OF Vellas, and
viewed that part of the country covered
with tie c!ntlsrs before mentioned, and
which mas turned the most valuable vine
ward Ii the island into t.ighttui desert
On the same day, the 4th OF May, We ven
tared to Fayai, and on the 5th, and sue
ceeding days, from twelve to fifteen voca
noes broke out in the fields we have ira
verssd on the 81, from the chasms before
described, and threw oul quantity or lava
waici: travelled on slowly towards Velias.
The ire OF those small cragers subsidized, and
the lava ceased RAINING on she TIN OF
May; on which day, the large volcano that
had lam dormant for nine days, burst iorth
again like aroaring lion, with horrld oeicf-
ings, distinctly heard at twelve leagues
5 distance, throwing up prodlgious laIge
stones, and an immense quantity OF lava,
illuminating at night the whole lsiatld.-
! This continued with tremendous force IN
til the 5th of June, exhibiting the awful,
vet magnificent spectacle Of a perfect river
of hfe, distinctly seen from Faya, running
into the sea. On that day, the 5th We ex-
perienced that its force began to fail and
in few DAYS after it ceased entirely. The
distance of the crater from the sea is about
four miles, and its elevation about three
thousand FIVE hundred feet. The lava mum
dated and swept away the town OF Ursu'laa
and country houses and cottages adjacent,
as well as the farm houses, throughout Its
course. 1t, as usual, gave timely notice OF
its approach, and most Of the inhabitants