PAPERS READ. 



ON THE VOLCANO OF TAAL. 

 By the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, F.G.S., F.L.S., &c. 



(Plates XVIII and xix.) 



During my travels in the Philippine Islands I paid a visit to the 

 active volcano of Taal, which, on account of its peculiarities, its 

 situation and its long-continued activity, is certainly one of the 

 most remarkable volcanoes of the world. It is situated amongst 

 the Philippines, in the Island of Luzon, at no great distance from 

 Manila, between N. lat. 13° 52', and 14° 7', and long, about 121° E. 

 It is in the north-west portion of the province of Batangas, and 

 almost due south of Manila. The bay of Manila which makes a 

 deep indentation on the south end of Luzon, is succeeded after a 

 short interval of coast line by the Seno de Balayan, a small bay, 

 and separated from this by a narrow ridge of ash and coral sand, 

 is a lake in the centre of which is the active ci'ater of Bombon 

 or Taal. 



I propose in the following paper to give a statistical, geological 

 and botanical account of this volcanic district, together with 

 such particulars of its history as I have been able to collect from 

 Spanish souixes. 



Literature. — The historical records of the Philippine Islands 

 are very abundant. Most of the Missionary Ordei's have published 

 annals of their religious enterprises, and have kept occasional 

 chronicles of anything remarkable which occurred in their respec- 

 tive missions. All these have been printed under their own 

 auspices, and now form a voluminous library, in which it is easy 

 to trace any event of importance since the Spaniards came into 

 possession of the Philippine Islands. I believe there are no 

 colonial possessions in the world in which the literature connected 

 with the country is so extensive. 

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