44 Transaction*. — Miscellaneous. 



the volcano, and was suffocated by its fumes. So eagerly 

 were we examining the crater that we neglected to notice the 

 dangerous position in which we were, for, to our surprise, the 

 vessel, notwithstanding the breeze we had, made but little head- 

 way, and for a few minutes it looked as if the current would draw 

 us into the volcano. However, after several minutes of suspense 

 the breeze increased, and we were soon out of danger, which was 

 clearly manifested by the vessel shooting ahead as she drew out 

 of the current ; and it is fortunate for us that we escaped when 

 we did, for the volcano commenced action shortly afterwards, 

 and fragments of heated stone were hurled aloft to a great height 

 and then fell, together with showers of cinders, splashing into the 

 sea at some distance from the edge of the new-formed island. 

 The matter ejected now seemed to be of a more solid nature than 

 that which had been previously thrown out by the volcano. 

 This, together with the fact that very little steam was now seen 

 around its base, although over the surface of the island the 

 steam still continued to rise in small jets, seems to be sufficient 

 proof of the correctness of the conjecture formed by Dr. Buck- 

 land, that it had now passed from a submarine volcano to that 

 of a volcanic island, and although no fire presented itself, yet 

 it continued all day belching forth such solid matter, accom- 

 panied with clouds of gases; for, after the completion of the 

 crater, the enormous upheavals of cinders, mud, and dust, &c, 

 increased not only in rapidity, but also in height, ten occurring 

 in twelve minutes ; sometimes a second and third would arise 

 before the first had fallen. This continued for about three- 

 quarters of an hour, when the eruptions became less frequent, 

 but increasing in height, towering aloft from 8,000 to 10,000 feet, 

 or perhaps even considerably higher, and the light flocculent 

 clouds of vapour, which separated themselves from the main 

 mass and floated away in the air, presented a most enchanting 

 spectacle, and between the eruptions the island was more or 

 less visible. But to describe the various shapes which these 

 eruptions of gaseous matter assumed would be impossible. It 

 certainly is one of the grandest efforts that even volcanic nature 

 has ever made, and one of the most beautiful sights that mortal 

 man has ever been permitted to behold. On that evening, 

 about 7.30, the first signs of fire were visible, and all through 

 the night at intervals it sent up quick darts of lurid light, 

 sometimes of a burning red, and at other times a bluish or 

 pinkish flame ; the reflection on the clouds, as some large flash 

 burst forth, presented all the features of sheet lightning, and 

 the light always appeared in the same place, and on one 

 occasion four or five flashes occurred at the same instant ; but 

 whether it was due to the condensed clouds of vapour being 

 highly charged with electricity, or whether it was caused by fire 

 being ejected from the volcano, it is difficult to determine. And 



