The peasant, who came daily in the morning and in the evening to inquire whether I had already seen an eruption, was with me when the hollow sounds which precede it were again heard.

We hastened out, and I again despaired of seeing any thing; the water only overflowed as usual, and the sound was already ceasing.

But all at once, when the last sounds had scarcely died away, the explosion began.

Words fail me when I try to describe it: such a magnificent and overpowering sight can only be seen once in a lifetime.
All my expectations and suppositions were far surpassed.

The water spouted upwards with indescribable force and bulk; one pillar rose higher than the other; each seemed to emulate the other.