Account of the Formation of the Island of Salrina. 69 

 »ecm that a deduction of a day from the hundredth lustrum 

 was thus symbolized by the astronomers of Egypt. Tliey knew 

 full well six hours was too much in addition to the 365 days to 

 make up the year's complement; therefore by reckoning366'days 

 for the fourth year's, an ideal existence of a j/ortion of future 

 time was assumed : this error they at first considered insignifi- 

 cant as a worm (whether in reference to the chrysalis, or to the 

 spiral motion of the sun, I am not bold to affirm) ; but in the 

 calculation of revolving years the priests of Sol were thoroughly 

 versed in the respect due to the great arbiter of time; they 

 feigned that deity to avenge the insult offered to his dignity by 

 the constant flight, of the swift-winged phoenix, but suited the 

 god's patience with the vain bird's endeavour to the convenience 

 of an epoch best adapted for their astronomical renovation of the 

 flow of time. The bird of fable was supposed to have out-stripped 

 the sun, but before distancing the luminary a full circuit of the 

 earth, the orb of light and heat must be repassed. Urged on by 

 its ambitious nature the bird persists in the attempt, although it 

 feels the consumption of its vitality to have commenced : invi- 

 gorated too by a foreboding of resuscitation in its offspring, it 

 gathers as it flies its costly funeral pile, and perishes in act to 

 pass the goal. 



Ethiopia and Aralia point out the sun in the southern signs, 

 when the phoenix day arises, after rejection of the former anti- 

 cipation — mysterized by the interment at the solar temple. 

 The " feathers, golden and red, " may possibly mean the early 

 hours of glorious promise and the closing moments of heliacal 

 sacrifice. Sir, yours respectfully, 



June 30. 1820. ^ W. W. 



ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE ISLAND OF SABRINA OFF 

 THE ISLAND OF ST. MICHAEL. 



On Thursday morning, the 13th of June, at about half-past 

 one o'clock, a strong shock of an earthquake was felt at the 

 city of Ponta Delgada, and for nearly eight hours the s'nocks 

 ■continued with more or less violence, with intervals of from fif- 

 teen to twenty minutes, between each shock, and more particu- 

 larly at the west end of the island, where a number of cottages 

 were thrown down, and other more substantial buildings con- 

 siderably injured. On Friday morning a submarine volcano burst 

 forth, about a mile from the shore, to the N.N.W. |W. of the 

 Pico das Camarinhas, which threw up stones and sand to a con- 

 siderable height, but it subsided in the afternoon of the same day. 

 On Saturday, the Ifuh, the volcano burst forth again in the same 

 placcjthf u,'h not with so much violence; the shocks of the earth- 

 quakes were also more mild, but considerable damage had already 

 been done ia the districta of Ginetes, Varzea, and Mortevros. 



" On 



