Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-09-19

| the west end of the island To observe this phe-
| nomenoD, aud was much gratified at seeing
Que OF the most awful and Sublime spectacles
that nature can present to human observation
took my station on the brink of a precipice,
impending over the sea shore, at the nearest
possible distance from the volcano, which
was raging with immense fury throwing mp
stones and sand to a height of upwards of a
| thousand feet above the level OF the sea, at
tended with a follow laundering noise, like
! distant canSonade, aud accompanied with
smart shocks OF earthquakes. 1.-The mephit-
&c yapOur was at times So strong, as to affect
the breathing, even to danger of suifocation,
| as the wind blew direct ON shore nom the II.
n. w The sea MAS agiiated around the vol
! cano, TO considerable distance, aud boiling
like an immense cauldron, the diameter of
which appeared TO be about 500 feet the
stones (some OF which were apparently above
| a ton weight being thrown up nearly per-
pendcular, several hundred yards. fell with
tremendous noise in every direction about the
volcano. and kept the sea in a continual foam.
The appearance of the clouds. rising in
spiral form, and spreading several leagues 10
the southwark, attracted particular notice,
from the water spouts which formed from
the black deDss clouds, aud drew up the wa
ter ia a variety OF cnections-at one time
counted eleven water spouts IN full action !;
occasionally the CLOUDS burst over Us with light
ram, charged with ashes aud S!uail scoia,
u avn up from the volcano the sulphur was so
strong as greatly TO iDcomm0de the inhdht-
| anis of Ponia Delgada, distance OF nearly
1 tNeuly .. Yin ueSuaS. Tue lStn OF june
reiurn.dto the same spot, accompanied by
captain TillaId, OF his Majes;y's ship Sabriua
Mr.. Melodies, PuTSer of that ship, and a Por-
tuguese gentleman, and on our arrival at half
| pas, ten, we discovered the mouth of a crater,
several feet above the surface OF the sea the
quantity of sand aud ashes thrown up from the
| centre of the crater. fOrHed an embankment
| as II fell, which kept out the sea, except in one
place, where an eBiLoucture of about thirty feet
wide " as disco ruibe; the sea rushed into this
part with incredible fury at every interval OF
the eruption, which subsidized only for a few
minutes, returning with redoubled force in
less than three hours the crater had Increased
III height above the level OF The sea nearly
sixty feet, having pocket compass, we took
the bearing of the volcano and having meaSur-
ed base Ii e OF SUI feet, we found the dis
tance from the spot of observation to be 5,l0O
Ieet or nearly an EsgliSh mile. About one L,
NJ. most tremendous explosion look place
winch lasted nearly twenty minutes, aud dark
ened the atmosphere for several miles around
the flashes OF lightning were very vivid, and
| produced grand effect on The black dens,
smoke OF the volcano the rocks thrown NJ
were red hot, aud caused hissing noise OIL
falling INTO the sea, which was distinctly heard
al intervals, when the suhteriaaeoGs thunder
ceased, part OF tue cliff on whose banks we
were seated fell into the sea. from The shock
oil ar earthquake, and obliged us (, make pre-
cIpItate retreat tor fear of repetition. AT
tive o'clock we quilted this awful scene with
reiuctance nothing could exceed the gratiii
cation felt by all parties on our road 10 the
Guy We bad frequent opportunities OF ob>ery-
InSithe damages done by the earthquakes ma
ny cottages we've er iiIcly thrown down, and
Others totally uDinhabItAble; the roads were
CLOAK ed aud almost impossible, fir I'm the hill
having iai!en III upoH them in various places.
On the following day, captain fiilard be-
ing ANXIOUS 10 have view OF the volcano from
tLe shlp he invited party 10 take an excursion
ny water aud had the pleasure of making one
On rounding the west end of the island pse
ioHhd tnat The volcauO during the nigh. had in
creased 10 mouDtaID, nearly concdl. whose
Dase FORMED almost an eqmIiateral triangle so
that within the space of a few hours IL had IN
creased upwards OF 600 feet in height and was
sun III tull action In passing 10 the leewar or
IL neaily u miles distant some OF the clouds
DhIst over the SabrIna, and covered the shin
win sand aud ashes SO as TO obige the ladies
10 leave tile deck another grand explosion
look place about Il. NJ. and at q a repetition,
During The sight the volcano was pretty uui.
Ell, at intervals streams OF fire were discefni-
Die, but II coming on TO blow hard from the
n. w we were obliged TO keep good oi!ius.
al DAY light the next mornu. We returned
10 Popta Delgada. Since the 22d the erup-
tons have entirely ceased q strong smoke
h0wever, continues 10 issue from the centre of
the crater, which is still boiling, and the wa
ter OF ihe sea is perfectly warm, at the dis,
lance OF more than half mile from the island.
Several persons have landed on the island
Out found the ground so hot DIS 10 obliae them
10 re-embark Immediately Lad The eruption
continued much longer, III all probability a
safe haTbOr would have been formed between
The volcano and the Bahia dos Mosteyros-
AO0nt century ago, an eruption broke out
on the land, which burnt for several months.
The extinct ciaier Is composed of lava pun
ice, anu caicined earth and sand, which having
been IN a stale OF fusion, resembles the dross
Of ore.