372 Scientific Intelligence. 



natives splashing about in the subterranean liycej the reflection of the 

 torch light on its gilded surface; the frowning s'les and lofty arch of the 

 black vault hung with lava that had cooled, witU Java in every imaginable 

 shape ; the deep gloom of the cavern beyond the water ; the hollow sound 

 of the footsteps, and the varied reverberation of the voices, produced a sin- 

 gular effect. The mouth of the cave is about half a mile from the sea, 

 and the perpendicular depth of the water probably not less than 50 or 60 

 feet. Its water is cool and refreshing. From its ebbing and flowing with 

 the tide, it has probably a direct communication with the sea. — Ellis's 

 Missionary Tour through Hawaii. 



58. On the Length of the Ancient Stadium.— A very accurate map of 

 Turkey in Europe, and of Greece, has just been published by M. Le 

 Chevalier Lapie, from materials collected by Count Guilleminot, the 

 French ambassador at Constantinople, and Lieutenant-General Baron Tre- 

 melin ; a very important result for understanding ancient geography, and 

 which, from the accuracy of the new map, has been obtained by its 

 editors. The learned differed with respect to the value of the stadium 

 ■which Strabo and the ancient geographers used for indicating the distances 

 between different places. It is evident that, in order to determine its 

 value, we ought to ascertain the real distances between different points, 

 "whose position has not changed ; and to deduce from this the true length 

 of the ancient measure. 



The precision with which M. Lapie has drawn his map, has completely 

 resolved the problem, and has demonstrated that the stadia of ancient 

 geographers were, according to the opinion adopted by M. Gosselin, and 

 rejected by D'Anville, 700 to a degree. Strabo, for example, reckons it 

 200 stadia from Corinth to Argos, and Pausanias 660 from Sparta to Olym- 

 pia. These are the exact distances found on the new map on stadia of 

 700 to a degree, which proves at once the accuracy of the ancient geogra- 

 phers, and that of the modern maps — Le Globe, 10th June 1 826, torn, iii., 

 No. 73, p. 391. 



59. Miniature Volcanoes in America. — The late Dr Dwight {Travels, 

 vol. ii. p- 203,) in his description of Stafford in Connecticut, mentions 

 a volcanic eruption, reported to have taken place in that town. The spot 

 alluded to is a high rock, forming the western bank of the valley of the 

 Willimantic, and distant nearly a mile from the Springs. Similar erup- 

 tions are said to have taken place in the Soapstone mountains of Somers 

 county. After a long continued rain, it is said by some of the inhabitants, 

 living near the place, that reports have been heard from the mountains in 

 frequent succession, louder than that of musketry. On examining this 

 rock not long since, a small hole, about 1^ inch in diameter, was found, 

 which extended to a considerable depth into a bed of the sulphuretof iron. 

 The mouth of this hole was extended in the form of a funnel, and was 

 filled with leaves, earth, and a mixture of the sulphate of iron. In Monson 

 county also, it is said that, some years ago, a similar eruption took place in 



