BY THE REV. J. E. TEyiSON-WOODS, F.G.S., &.C. 727 



of the sort. The Spanish geologist mentions that, in some of the 

 deepest barrancos, doleritic lavas are exposed, which he refers to 

 the most ancient eruptions connected with the volcano. On 

 referring to my notes I can find no appearance of anything of the 

 kind except at Binintiang Malaki, where there is something like 

 a stratum of true basalt, but the vegetation prevented my being 

 able to trace it accurately. This, at any rate, could not have been 

 the lava stream to which the worthy friar I'efers. It is most 

 probable that the appearances described wei-e due to the slipping 

 down from the slopes of large quantities of red hot ashes. I 

 noticed a similar effect on the sides of the ci^ater of Semiru, in 

 Java, when in full eruption. The whole mountain seemed aglow 

 at night time, as if the point of it was red hot, and every now and 

 then there were slips and i-efts, avalanches in fact amid the ashes. 

 This, at a distance, gave an appearance of movement exactly like 

 streams of fire. 



I find on referring to the article Volcan in the Diccionario 

 Geografico Estadistico de las islas Fllijyinas por el P. Buzeta 

 (which thi'ough the kindness of Padre Mauricio Blanco, of the 

 Augustinian Convent, Iloilo, Panay, who obtained a copy for me, 

 I am able to refer to now), that a gi'aphic description is given of an 

 eruption which took place in 1716. It seems to have had its origin 

 about the Punta Caluit on the south-eastern side of the island ; at 

 least this is what is said by the recording eye-witness, but a 

 reference to the map will show that this part of the island is quite 

 free from any traces of a crater or other focus of activity. I 

 had a good opportunity of examining this part of the island, as 

 we kept very close to it in our canoe. The eye-witness referred 

 to was Padre Francisco Pingarron, then parish priest of the town 

 of Taal, the main points of whose description are as follows : — 



On the '24th of September, 1716, at 6 o'clock in the evening, 

 they suddenly heard loud sounds like discharges of heaAy artillery 

 which came from the direction of Manila. Shortly afterwards 

 the fiery glow which comes from the island volcano, seemed to be 

 directed to that portion which was nearest to the town of Lipa, 

 that is the island cape called Calavita, which appeared to be a 



