" sel was at this time in the neighbourhood of Terra 

 " del Fuego, about 140 miles from Magellan's straits, 

 " when early in the morning it narrowly escaped colli- 

 '^ sion with an island where no trace of land appeared 

 " on the charts. The vessel hove-to until daylight, 

 " when the Captain proceeded with a boat's crew to 

 " the new island, which had gradually diminished in 

 " size since the first observation. Around the conical 

 " rooky mass the water was hissing and although no 

 " smoke appeared, it was found to be too highly heat. 

 " ed to permit of landing. The sinking conti nued 

 e' slowly nntil at eight o'clock the Island was cornple- 

 " tely submerged, and an hour later the vessel passed 

 " over the spot where it had disappeared. " This is 

 indeed a novel experience, and is at iirst sight difficult 

 to be understood, but when we come to consider the 

 m.anifold ways in Avhich volcanic agency occurs, we 

 very readily grasp at the explanation of the wonderful 

 appearance and submergence of such islands as the one 

 reported in the above narrative. Being in the vicinity 

 of volcanoes, the island which Captain Lungineers dis- 

 covered was evidently a cone belonging to a volcanic 

 Group, the centre of which must liave l^een some hun- 

 dred miles distant. The cone had no doubt been 

 formed some time previous to its observation by the 

 vessel, may be some years even, heaved up by volcanic 

 enei'gy from the bed of the ocaau, and the vent or 

 crater was gradually dying or suljsiding when the 

 ship neared the Island, for we read that " the sinking 



