The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

NAPLES. (in ITALY.) October 20.

YESTERDAY morning there was an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. the sides of the mountain split in many places, and threw up fountains of liquid matter many feet high ; which afterwards formed rivers. or rather torrents of fire. In an Instant the ashes & pumice stones caused almost a total darkness : and the conflagration increasing, his Sicilian Majesty removed, at two o'clock this morning. from Portici, when the explosions of the volcano shook the palace so much, that his majesty was obliged to quit it hastily, and return to his capital. One branch of lava threatened Portici itself; and, after having destroyed vineyards, stopped only about a mile and a half short of it, another branch came down. in less than two hours, above four miles towards the Torre del Annunziata. Another. still more considerable lava, is running in a valley between Somma and mount Vesuvius. The houses in this capital were shaken violently almost all the night, which is supposed to have been rather owing to the concussion of the air from the explosions of the mountain, than to EARTH QUAKES. Vesuvius is so entirely covered with clouds of ashes, that it is impossible to tell its exact state ; but the explosions have ceased for the present. This eruption is certainly much more violent than any that has happened of late years, but now that the mountain has vent in so many places, it is not imagined that this capital is in any danger ; when it has suffered formerly, it has been from EARTHQUAKES which have preceded eruptions of the mountain, or accompanied the very moment of its eruption. By an account this moment received Portici is still in danger, as the Lava runs afresh.