during the Eruption of Mount Souffre. 33 



explosive force of the volcano, or to shocks repeated in quick 

 succession, so as completely to overcome the pressure of the 

 atmosphere, to project its volume of cinders and heated 

 vapours to the higher regions thereof, and to cause their 

 reverberating around, that the sound and ashes could be con- 

 veyed to such incredible distances. 



I have recently observed a notice*, which is interesting, 

 but requires to be reconsidered, as the phenomenon alluded to 

 is undoubtedly referred to a wrong cause. It is brief, and I 

 here transcribe it. 



" Distance to which minutely divided matter may be carried 

 by wind. — On the morning of the 19th of January last, Mr. 

 Forbes, on board the Clyde East Indiaman, bound to London, 

 in lat. 10° 40' N., and long. 27° 41' W., and about 600 miles 

 from the coast of Africa, was surprised to find the sails 

 covered with a brownish sand, the particles of which, being 

 examined by a microscope, appeared extremely minute. At 

 two, p.m., the same day, some of the sails being unbent, clouds 

 of dust escaped from them on their flapping against the masts. 

 During the night, the wind had blown fresh N.E. by E., and 

 the nearest land to windward was that of the African coast 

 lying between Cape de Verd and the river Gambia. May hot 

 the seeds of many plants, found in remote and newly-formed 

 islands, have been thus conveyed ?" 



It would be surprising, indeed, were it ascertained that this 

 sand had been conveyed from the coast of Africa by the com- 

 mon course of the wind. The supposition, however, is too 

 absurd to be admitted. It was undoubtedly volcanic sand 

 from some eruptions in the region of the Cape de Verd Islands, 

 the more southerly of which, as St. Jago and Fogo or Fuego, 

 bore N.E. from the ship, the distance being about 300 miles 

 instead of 600. If inquiry were made, it would probably be 

 found that some awful explosion had occurred at the volcanic 

 island of Fogo or its vicinity on the night of the 18th of 

 January. I should suppose this might be ascertained by 

 inquiry of the masters of such vessels as were then lying 



* In the New Monthly Magazine, for February, 1827. 

 JULY — SEPT., 1829. D 



