WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 265 



are the volcanoes of Atacama and Cosapa, and in Chile that of Villa 

 Rica and many others in the Cordillera Nevada, which are continually 

 throwing out flame and smoke ; and many others in those broad vast 

 expanses, which it is impossible to enumerate. There are also those 

 in the Philippines and the Moluccas ; that of Ternate is famous for 

 the quantities of flame and ashes it has ejected, and still does ; all 

 its slopes are covered with clove trees. And since I have seen all 

 those mentioned, I will state what views my limited talents have 

 enabled me to form on this subject, and every reader may judge of 

 them as he sees best. 



Chapter XXXIII 



Continuing the Subject of Volcanoes: What Are They, and What 

 Is Their Origin? 



761. These volcanoes are in general very lofty mountains ; almost 

 all have the shape of a sugar loaf, and stand out conspicuous above 

 the peaks of the highest and steepest mountains of their ranges. 

 These volcanoes, or most of them, are continually ejecting rivers 

 of fire, which never stop or end, although they have been burning 

 so long — since time and eras immemorial — without stopping or ending. 



762. Many who have studied and written excellently on this sub- 

 ject, state that these volcanoes are the result of the existence of 

 great deposits of sulfur in those localities and regions ; as the sulfur 

 is continually being deposited, the fire always has material to con- 

 sume ; thus these volcanoes are the earth's breathing holes, through 

 which the fire issues to find its level, out of the hollows of the earth 

 into the region of the air. 



763. Others maintain that these volcanoes are mouths of Hell, 

 and that is the general view and opinion of the sainted Doctors of 

 the Church, and of theologians, that Hell is in the center of the 

 earth, which is 6,480 leagues in girth or circumference, and the length 

 of whose diameter in a straight line from one side to the other is 

 2,o6if leagues. The opinions and views of the best writers on this 

 subject are such as those expressed by Cortes on folio 22 and by 

 others. According to this view, the distance from the surface of 

 this earth where we mortals dwell, at any point of it, down to the 

 center, where Hell is situated, is 1,030! leagues. Here the unfortunate 

 souls of the wretches who have been damned, suffer those terrible 

 tortures of the senses which may be imagined from the statements 

 and opinions of the Saints and the Doctors of the Church, and are 



