728 ON THE VOLCANO OF TAAL, 



mass of fire. Subsequently the fire seemed to involve the lake in 

 the direction of Mt. Macolod, causing an enormous bubbling or 

 jets of water and ashes, which x'ose continually into the air, 

 causing much fear and terror, especially as this was accompanied 

 at the same time by great earthquakes agitating the water of the 

 lake into high waves such as a hurricane might have produced, 

 which beat against the shore with such force as to remove many 

 fathoms of it, and endanger the safety of the convent. This state 

 of things continued during Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 

 Sunday, on which day the worthy Father says — all the material of 

 nitre, sulphur, (fee, which occasioned the fire was pretty nearly 

 consumed. The waters had meanwhile become quite hot, destroy- 

 ing immense numbers of fishes both large and small. These were 

 cast upon the shore by the waves, and, with the odor of sulphur, 

 created such a terrific effluvium that the inhabitants of the 

 neighbouring town were threatened with a pestilence. When the 

 sun came out for a few moments on the Sunday, it was seen that the 

 waters of the lake were as black as if they had been dyed, which 

 caused the greatest terror ; but, to use the words of the pious 

 chronicler, "it pleased God in His infinite mercy to restore 

 tranquillity to the elements, and all that remained was the opjDres- 

 sive odor of so many dead fish." 



In 1731, says Padre Bencuchillo,* the eff'ects of volcanic 

 activity made themselves once more manifest in the lake, and the 

 result was such an agitation of the waters and a casting up of 

 mud, sand, and ashes from the bottom, that some islands were 

 formed, and these are thought to be those of Bubuing and 

 Napayong. At least Seilor Centeno thinks so, but the Augustinian 

 monk says that the formation took place opposite Punto Calavita, 

 where, as already stated, there are no traces of local volcanic 

 action, and where the lake is of great depth. 



'*Relacion de lo sucedido en el volcan de la Laguna de Bomhong, escrita 

 in Bauan en 22de Dickmbre de 1754. I must mention that I am entirely 

 indebted for tliis reference and quotation to Senor Centeno's pamphlet. I 

 have neven seen the work myself, which, however, is cited by most of the 

 subsequent writers on the topography of the Philippines. 



