ere the ruins of some caverns under ground,
which we supposed to have been magazines.

At six in the afternoon we weighed with the ebb tide, and turned to
windward; but at eight a thick fog arising, we were obliged to bring-to, as
our soundings could not afford us a sufficient direction for steering
between several sunk rocks, which lie on each side of the passage we had to
make. In the morning of the 14th, the fog clearing away, we weighed as soon
as the tide began to ebb, and having little wind, sent the boats ahead to
tow; but at ten o'clock, both the wind and tide set in so strong from the
sea, that we were again obliged to drop anchor in thirteen fathoms, the
high rock bearing W. 1/4 S., distant three quarters of a mile. We remained
fast for the rest of the day, the wind blowing fresh into the mouth of the
bay; and toward evening, the weather had a very unusual appearance, being
exceedingly dark and cloudy, with an unsettled shifting wind.

Before day-light, on the 15th, we were surprised with a rumbling noise,
resembling distant hollow thunder; and when the day broke, we found the
decks and sides of the ships covered with a fine dust like emery, near an
inch thick. The air at the same time continued loaded and darkened with
this substance, and toward the _volcano_ mountain, situated to the north of
the harbour, it was so thick and black, that we could not distinguish the
body of the hill. About twelve o'clock, and during the afternoon, the
explosions became louder, and were followed by showers of cinders, which
were in general about the size of peas; though many were picked up from the
deck larger than a hazel-nut. Along with the cinders fell several small
stones, which had undergone no change from the action of fire. In the
evening we had dreadful thunder and lightning, which, with the darkness of
the atmosphere, and the sulphureous smell of the air, produced altogether a
most awful and terrifying effect. We were at this time about eight leagues
from the foot of the mountain.

On the 16th, at day-light, we again weighed anchor, and stood out of the
bay; but the ebb tide setting across the passage upon the eastern shore,
and the wind falling, we were driven very near the Three Needle Rocks,
which lie on that side of the entrance, and obliged to hoist out the boats,
in order to tow the ships clear of them. At noon we were two leagues from
the land, and had soundings with forty-three fathoms of line, over a bottom