On the Neio Insular Volcano, named Holhaiii Island. 869 



few yards, and falling into it again ; but the great quantity of 

 steam that constantly rose from it, prevented my seeing the 

 whole crater. 



" A considerable stream of muddy water flowed outward 

 through the opening, and mingling with that of the sea, caused 

 the discoloration that had been observed before. I could not 

 approach near enough to observe its temperature, but that of 

 the sea, within 10 or 12 yards of it, was only one degree higher 

 than the average ; and to leeward of the island, in the direction 

 of the current (which ran to the eastward), no difference could 

 be perceived, even where the water was most discoloured ; how- 

 ever, as a ' mirage"' played above it near its source, it was pro- 

 bably hot there. The dark objects on the surface of the sea 

 proved to be patches of small floating cinders. The island or 

 crater appeared to be 70 or 80 yards in its external diameter, 

 and the lip as thin as it could be consistent with its height, 

 which might be 20 feet above the sea in the highest, and 6 feet 

 in the lowest part, leaving the rest for the diameter of the area 

 within. These details could only be observed in the intervals 

 between the great eruptions, some of which I witnessed from 

 the boat. No words can describe their sublime grandeur. Their 

 progress was generally as follows : — After the volcano had 

 emitted for some time its usual quantities of white steam, sud- 

 denly the whole aperture was filled with an enormous mass of 

 hot cinders and dust, rushing upwards to the height of some 

 hundred feet with a loud roaring noise, then falling into the sea 

 on all sides with a still louder noise, arising in part, perhaps, 

 from the formation of prodigious quantities of steam which in- 

 stantly took place. The steam was at first of a brown colour, 

 having embodied a great deal of dust ; as it rose it gradually 

 recovered its pure white colour, depositing the dust in the shape 

 of a shower of muddy rain. AVhile this was being accomplished, 

 renewed eruptions of hot cinders and dust were quickly suc- 

 ceeding each other, while forked lightning, accompanied by 

 rattling thunder, darted about in all directions within the co- 

 lumn, now darkened with dust and greatly increased in volume, 

 and distorted by sudden gusts and whirlwinds. The latter 

 were most frequent on the lee side, where they often made im- 

 perfect water-spouts of curious shapes. On one occasion some 



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