the former eruptions, there were heard, a considerable time previous, certain subterraneous sounds, that were sure presages of them. It also emitted, almost continually, a thick smoke, by which it announced them. But upon the present occasion we remarked nothing of all this. It is true, that on the last day of January we perceived some slight shocks; but we scarcely noticed them, on account of their having been very frequent, since the earthquake that we experienced on the fifth of October of the year eighteen hundred and eleven. On Monday night the shocks increased. At two in the morning we felt one more violent than those we had hitherto experienced. It was repeated at four, and from that hour they were almost continual until the eruption commenced.

Tuesday dawned, and I scarcely ever remarked at Cama rines, a more serene and pleasant morning or a clearer sky. I observed, however, that the ridges nearest to the volcano were covered with a mist, which I supposed to be the smoke of some house thereabouts, that had been on fire in the night. At eight o'clock, on that fatal morning, the volcano began suddenly to emit a thick column of stones, sand and ashes, which, with the greatest velocity, was elevated in a moment to the highest part of the atmosphere. At this sight we were astonished, and filled with the utmost dread, and especially when we observed, that in an instant, the brow of the 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, and was about to consume us. The swiftness with which that dreadful tide rolled towards us, did not us give much time either for reflection or conversation. The frightful noise that the volcano made, caused great terror, even in the stoutest hearts. We all ran terrified, and filled with the greatest dismay and consternation, endeavouring to reach the highest and most distant places, in order to preserve ourselves from so imminent a danger. The horizon began to darken, and our anxieties redoubled.-The noise of the volcano continually increases; the darkness augments; and

we continue our flight for the preservation of our lives, removing farther and farther from an object so terrific. But notwithstanding the swiftness with which we run, we are overtaken in our disastrous flight by a heavy shower of huge stones, by the violence of which many unfortunate persons are in a moment deprived of life. This unforeseen and cruel circumstance, obliges us to make a pause in our career, and to shelter ourselves under the houses; but flames and burnt stones fall from above, which in a short time reduce them to ashes.

The horrid and frightful noise of the volcano increases to its utmost-the shower of stones and thick sand augmentsthe burning stones and meteors continue to fall; and in a very short time reduce to ashes the most beautiful villages of the province of Camarines. The animals of the mountain descend precipitately to the villages, to seek in them a secure asylum. The domestic animals run terrified with the greatest disorder and affright, uttering cries that indicate their approaching end.

At about ten in the forenoon it ceased to rain heavy stones, and each one endeavoured to remain in the situation he then was, waiting until the rain of thick sand which succeeded it should also cease, or until some new and unforeseen calamity should terminate the existence of us all.

We thus continued until half past one in the afternoon; at which hour the noise of the volcano began to diminish, and the horizon to clear a little; at sight of which there was revived in us the hope of life, which until then had been almost wholly extinguished. At about two in the afternoon it became entirely clear, and we began to perceive distinctly the lamentable and dreadful ravages that the darkness had hitherto concealed from us. We saw with terror the ground covered with dead bodies, part of whom had been killed by the stones, and the others consumed by the fire. Two hundred of those perished in the church of Budiao-thirty-five in a single house in that village. The joy that all felt at having preserved life through such imminent dangers, was, in many, instantly

converted into the extremity of sorrow at finding themselves deprived of their relations, friends and acquaintances.

The sad result of the misfortunes of that day has been the total ruin of five villages, in the province of Camarines, and the principal part of Albay-the death of more than twelve hundred unfortunate persons, and many others severely wounded-the loss of every thing that the survivors possessed in the world.

The present appearance of the volcano is most melancholy and terrific. Its side, which was formerly so cultivated, and which afforded a prospect the most picturesque, is now nothing but an arid and barren sand. The stones, sand and ashes which cover it are so astonishing in quantity, that in some places they exceed the thickness of ten and twelve yards; and in the very spot where lately stood the village of Budiao, there are places in which the cocoa trees are almost covered. In the ruined villages, and almost through the whole extent of the eruption, the ground remains covered with sand to the depth of half a yard, and scarcely a single tree is left alive. The crater of the volcano has lowered, as I judge, more than twenty fathoms, and on the south side discovers a spacious and horrid mouth which it is frightful to look at. Three new ones are opened at a considerable distance from the principal crater, through which also smoke and ashes were incessantly emitted. In short, the most beautiful villages of Camarines and the principal part of that province are converted into a barren sand.

ORIGINAL PAPERS.

FOR THE ECLECTIC REPERTORY.

Memoir, exhibiting a very simple method of perceiving objects formed at the back part of the Eye. Translated from the French of M. MAGENDIE, D. M. P., by N. C. NAncrede, M. D. &c. &c.

THE formation of images at the back part of the eye is not to be explained from a knowledge of the structure of the eye and of the laws of dioptrics alone; philosophers demonstrate their formation by direct experiments also.

For this purpose Schreiner, Hook, Camper, Lecat and others, sometimes employed artificial eyes, composed of glass and water. The results obtained by these gentlemen were in a degree, satisfactory; i. e. they saw images, tolerably well formed, on that part of the glass representing the retina. The dissimilarity which necessarily exists between such instruments and the eye of an animal, has caused them to be entirely abandoned: at least I do not know that any philosopher makes use of them at present.

A method better known, and now the only one in use, consists in fixing, in the shutter of a dark room, the eye of an animal; the precaution having been taken to deprive its posterior part of the sclerotica and choroid. The images of objects placed so as to emit rays towards the pupil, are then very distinctly seen on the retina. In these experiments the eyes of bulls, sheep, dogs, cats, and even human eyes, have been employed.

When this method is adopted, in order to ensure complete success, it is necessary, 1st. That the eye be very fresh, or in other words, that the animal, whence the eye has been obtained, should have expired within a very few moments: 2d. That the retina be found sound, when the sclerotica and choroid have been taken off: 3d. That the shape of the eye

be not altered; and it is no easy matter to unite these several conditions.

We may easily procure eyes, from the animals abovementioned, at the very moment of their death, but the difficulty does not solely rest here; the sclerotica and choroid must be taken away without injuring the retina; this is attended with considerable difficulty; and when, by a great deal of care, we have succeeded in preserving the retina unimpaired, we must remember that the shape of the eye must not be altered; this is almost impossible, for the least pressure on an eye, previously deprived of the sclerotica and choroid, or even the simple collapse, is sufficient to occasion the rupture of the retina, or the displacement of a portion of vitreous humour, which unavoidably occasions an alteration of the shape of the organ of sight.

The measures generally resorted to, to prevent this inconvenience, such as putting the eyes in a small cup made of pasteboard (coque de Carton) to direct the reflection of the image on a piece of oiled paper, taking from the eye only the sclerotica, &c. are far from fulfilling the intention; nay, they often do more harm than good.

If the operator were to take off these coats only twenty-four hours after the animal's death, he would experience much less difficulty, because they have then lost by evaporation a portion of their humours; he would also obviate one of the great difficulties attendant on the experiment: but on the other hand, the refractive parts of the eye are altered, the crystalline lens has lost a part of its transparency, and the aqueous humour having dissolved part of the pigmentum nigrum, has become turbid, and admits only of an imperfect transmission of the rays of light.

To these great difficulties we must attribute, that the experiment is so very seldom tried, and still less attended with the desired result.

If in what I have just stated I have expressed myself clearly, it will appear evident, that the opacity of the sclerotica

VOL. V.

2 F

No. 18.