in the Province of Granada. 53 



iti the chain of volcanic action, which may be traced along the 

 southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, from the Cabo de Gata to 

 the Cabo de Pales, its eastern extremity. Other links in this chain 

 will be subsequently mentioned ; one of them, however, as it is 

 within ten miles of Vera, must here be noticed. The road from 

 this town to the city of Lorca, goes along the fissure or dry 

 valley represented in Section 16 ; and about half way from 

 Vera to a little village or hamlet called Pulpi, a group of coni- 

 cal hills of trachyte are observed at the base of the mountain- 

 ous tract of mica-slate that confines the fissure towards the 

 E. S. E. 



The trachyte is of a light grey cinder colour, studded with 

 small crystals of volcanic hornblende, has a semivitreous aspect, 

 and is very hard and tenacious. It bears the greatest resem- 

 blance to the trachytic rock most common amongst the volcanic 

 productions in the Cabo de Gata ridge. 



I shall now conclude these few observations upon the geolo- 

 gical appearances in the vicinity of Vera, by recording an histo- 

 rical fact probably not unconnected with the origin of these vol- 

 canic rocks, and which bears testimony to the operation of 

 powerful subterranean agency, some three centuries ago. 



Upon the summit of the conical hill (C), Section 14. PI. I. 

 stood the ancient town of Vera, about half a mile distant from the 

 site which the town occupies in the present day. This hill, 

 formed of thick beds of conglomerate, was called El Cabezo del 

 Espiritu Santo, and Vera la Viejo (old Vera), situated upon its 

 summit, was utterly destroyed by an earthquake on the 9th of 

 November 1518, the tabernacle of the Santissimo la Cramento 

 alone being spared, according to legendary tradition. Several 

 shocks had been previously felt, and the inhabitants had fled 

 from the threatened town, but an interval of repose succeeding, 

 returned to their dwellings. This respite was of short duration, 

 for three days after they had resumed their usual avocations, 

 the earthquake occurred which buried them all under the ruins 

 of their town. The municipal authorities and a detachment of 

 troops had left the town the preceding day, the former on a 

 commission, the latter to garrison one of the forts upon the ad- 

 jacent coast, and thus escaped the general destruction. The 

 names of the members of the municipality, nine in number, are 



