151 



chymical action was set up ; the rock shortly became red-hot, and as 

 the waters of the Atlantic dashed against it, abundance of steam was 

 genei'ated, which produced a sound not unlike that of the explosion 

 of cannons, or distant thunder. 



The self-ignition of coals containing pyrites, and the rapid heating of 

 sulphur and iron, when both are in powder and in contact with each 

 other and moist, have long been known. 



There being, then, all the ingredients present in volcanic regions 

 necessary for chymical action, what is there to object against the 

 theory ? Nothing but the persistent nature of the operations in some 

 parts, and its intermitting nature in others. To answer this, we can 

 only point to many vast volcanoes, to show that the fires have burnt out 

 entirely, and that there is reason to believe that others will do so too. 



One other objection may be started, viz. that the evidence of the 

 telescope shows us that there are volcanoes of huge size in the moon ; 

 and as everything tends to prove that no water does or can exist in our 

 satellite, it is reasonable to conclude that water has not the influence 

 in producing volcanic action which we have given it credit for. 



This argument is one of considerable force, but is easily met by 

 the assertion that there are not, and there is no proof that there ever 

 were, volcanoes in the moon, and that what have been considered as hugh 

 craters and burning mountains have no analogy with real ones on the 

 earth. They have much more the character assumed by bubbles which 

 have burst at the surface of a boiling mass, and have been instantly 

 cooled. But as this has nothing to do with the subject of our paper, 

 we must not continue the speculation. 



The chymical theory of the volcanic action certainly appears, at the 

 present time, to explain the phenomena better than any other ; and it 

 is not without wonder that we contemplate the fact that such vast fires 

 as have existed, and still smoulder extensively, have been kindled by 

 the operation of water. The American who, when standing on the 

 mountain, watching the eruption of liquid lava from Vesuvius, re- 

 marked that they had in their country a waterfall that would put out 

 the fire in five minutes, evidently had no notion that those very fires 

 had been produced by some internal cataract, deluging a bed of pyrites, 

 or similar formation. 



The wonders of creation are infinite, and not the least of them is 

 the power that kindles the earth into a flame by the same element 

 which man employs to destroy it when produced. 



An animated discussion followed, in which the views of the President 

 were strongly opposed l>y holders of the other theory. 



