Accoxmt of a new Volcanic Isla7id. 229 



ACCOUNT OF A NEW VOLCANIC ISLAND. 



Extract of a Letter from a Gentleman on board His Majesty's Ship Agincourt, 

 to his Friend in Arbroath, dated River Tagus, August 4, 18il. 



"■ Not having it In my power to inform you of the pro- 

 gress of the arts in this quarter of the globe, I embrace the 

 present opportunity of giving you a circumstantial, and, I 

 doubt not, authentic account of the proceedings of nature, 

 which, I presume, you will find not less interesting. His 

 majesty's sloop Sabrina arrived here lately from a cruize 

 off the Western Isles or Azores, and brought us the follow- 

 ing account. On the l6lh of June ihcy observed two co- 

 lunms of white smoke arising from the sea, off the west end 

 of the island of St. Michael's, which for some time they 

 supposed to be an engagement, and made all sail towards 

 it; but were prevented, b)' the wind dying away. The smoke 

 continued to ascend wuh sometimes large flames of fire, and 

 they then concluded that it was a volcano. Next day they 

 were close in with the island of St. Michael's, and foimd the 

 volcano situated about two miles west of that island, and 

 still raging in the most awful manner. They learnt from 

 the British consul at St. Michael's that smoke was first 

 observed arising from that place on the 14th of June; pre- 

 vious to which there had been several very severe shocks 

 of an earthquake felt at St. Michael's, so that the destruction 

 of the whole island was much feared ; but they ceased as 

 soon as the volcano broke out. On the ISth the Sabrina 

 went as near the volcano as she could with safety, and 

 found it still raging with unabated violence, throwing up 

 from under the water large stones, cinders, ashes, &c. ac- 

 companied with several severe shocks. About noon on the 

 same day they observed the mouth of the crater just shov/- 

 ing itself above the surface of the sea, where there were 

 formerly 40 fathoms oi 240 feet of water. They christened 

 it ' Sabrina island.' At three p. m. same day, tt was about 

 30 feet above the surface of the water, and about a furlong 

 in length. On the IQth they were within five or six miles 

 of the volcano, and found it about 50 feet in height, and 

 two-thirds of a mile in length; s:ill raging as befo"re, and 

 throwing up large quantities of stones, some of which fell 

 a mile distant from the volcano. The smoke drew up se- 

 veral water- spouts, which spreading in the air, fell in a 

 heavy rain, accompanied with vast quantities of fine black 

 sand, which completely covered the Sabiina's decks at the 

 di.-.iance of three or four miles from the volcano. On the 

 '20lli ihey went on a cruize, leaving the volcano about 1.50 

 feet high, and a mile in length, still raging as formerly, and 



P 6 conlinuiiiE: 



