CURIOUS VOLCANO. 43 



bottom, approaching now and then as near 

 as we could to the crater, but it felt very 

 hollow and very ticklish walking. 



We had entered by the side furthest from 

 the volcanos, but on arriving at the side 

 nearest to them, the passage got more diffi- 

 cult and the gTOund hotter and more spongy; 

 however, by dint of perseverance we made 

 the tour of this curious place, without being 

 able from any point to approach the spot 

 from whence the vapour was issuing, but 

 when we arrived directly to leeward of it, 

 the smell was very powerful ; of that sul- 

 phureous description that produces violent 

 coughing. After returning to the spot we 

 entered by, we sat down under a tree, and 

 after our midday meal, I made a water-co- 

 loured drawing of this strange spot, which, I 

 am sorry to say, with many other sketches, 

 were lost in a river. It was a desolate 

 place, and though surrounded at a certain 

 distance with fine trees, not a single blade of 

 grass or vestige of vegetation was to be seen 

 within the banks of this sunken volcano ; all 

 was sterile and barren beyond description, 

 and the ruin-like convulsion in the centre, 

 with the sulphureous vapour arising from it, 

 together with the desolation around, did not 



