New Folcano of Hotham Island. 315 



covered the extraordinary phenomena of three distinct columns 

 of smoke issuing from the sea, accompanied by a sub-marine noise, 

 which he compared to that made by the " wheels of a vast steam 

 vessel." In the evening of the same day, a second report was 

 brought by a vessel from London. No appearance of lava was 

 to be seen. The admiral instantly directed two officers to pro- 

 ceed and verify the report. On the night of Wednesday the 

 20th inst., while proceeding on their voyage, they first discovered 

 it at 25 or 30 miles distance, shooting upwards rays and flashes 

 to a great height. The next day, observing that the intervals 

 between the eruptions occupied almost a corred uniformily of time, 

 viz. from an hour and a half, to an hour and a quarter, afforded 

 them the chance to approach at one time within 60 yards of the 

 crater, where they sounded, and found the side of the cone in 33 

 fathoms, the armory of the lead bringing up a small piece of 

 black stone, being the only substance we got during three days' 

 constant perseverance, whose specific gravity was greater than 

 water, which I am sorry it is not in my power to transmit; but 

 I have secured some cinders and ashes, which I shall have the 

 pleasure to send home in the Melville, which will leave this 

 shortly for England. Since writing the above, I have just 

 learned that Lord William Thynne, on the morning of the 19th, 

 on his return from Gibraltar to this place, was enabled to ap- 

 proach within 20, and to sound in 18 fathoms. At this time the 

 island was just above the surface, and on the 21st my friend 

 found it 20 feet in height ; and I have now learned that the 

 day before yesterday, viz. the 25th inst, it had acquired the 

 height of 40 or 45 feet. Any further information you may wish 

 to acquire, I shall be able to collect, as I shall in a day or so 

 visit the scene." 



The following report by the officers of the Philomel, has been 

 published at Malta, by Admiral Hotham.—" The Philomel brig 

 of war, which left Malta harbour on Tuesday afternoon the 

 19th of July, with the masters of the St. Vincent and Ganges, 

 to ascertain the correct particulars of the new volcano island 

 forming off Sciacca, in Sicily, discovered the object at 1 A. M. 

 on Thursday the 21st; at 3, spoke an Austrian ship from Algiers, 

 bound to Alexandria, the master of which reported, that he had 

 seen dense smoke and much fire issuing for the last three days. 

 At 6, observed a thick smoke issuing apparently from the sea, 



