PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 467 
the bay, in a direct line between the old crater on the 
mainland and the shoal from which the island I have just 
described had been upheaved. As the submarine volcano 
increased in size, the other steam clouds in the deep water 
ceased, and the old crater burst out with terrific power. 
The inhabitants of the bay and of Matupit all-fled to the 
high lands until the first fury of the eruption abated. 
When we saw it, it presented a grand and awful sight. 
Billow after billow of thick black smoke was shot out, 
forming a very high column, which towered up far above 
the surrounding mountains. For a few minutes there 
would be a comparative lull, when there would be a loud 
roar, followed or accompanied by a violent explosion of 
ashes and pumice, and cloud after cloud of thick smoke 
following each other in quick succession, the lower one 
burying itself in the one which preceded it, whilst the 
upper ones were overlapping, curling, and wreathing round 
‘the lower ones as if in very madness of frolic they were 
revelling in their escape into the pure atmosphere. 
As we approached the crater in our boat, we could see 
that the explosion had taken place on the side of the crater 
nearest to the bay, and that a new cone was being rapidly 
formed, having for its centre what was formerly the south 
side of the old crater. As we approached it from the 
windward side we were able to get quite close to it, and 
it was a most awe-inspiring sight. There was no discharge 
of lava, but large blocks of pumice and rocks were con- 
tinually being shot out, whilst the roaring could be heard 
distinctly at Duke of York Group, nearly 20 miles away. 
Not a green leaf was to be seen, though all was covered 
with grass and trees a fortnight before. The dead and 
blackened trees, with almost every branch beaten off by 
the stones, stood like spectres on all the hill-sides, and gave 
a most mournful aspect to the scene, whilst the cocoanut 
trees on Matupit, and places far enough away to escape 
destruction, were so weighted by the dust and ashes that 
their leaves hung straight down by the stems, giving them 
a rather comical appearance; in fact, we all agreed that 
they were very much like a lot of closed gigantic Chinese 
umbrellas, 
As we could see no safe practicable way of ascending the 
crater, we decided to return. We could hear the dull 
thud of the stones as they fell, and we all agreed that we 
were close enough to them, and that it would not be 
pleasant to get shut in by the large fields of pumice floating 
about the bay—an event which might easily take place 
