FUMAVOLS, 



549 



of Cransac is mentioned in charters, as burning 

 in the year 1400; and has been noted in several 

 works of geography. The smoke may some- 

 times be seen at the distance of a league ; and at 

 night, especially during rain or snow, the flame 

 appears red, yellow, or blue. 



M. Morand has given a curious list of the sub- 

 stances affected by fire, being chiefly indurated 

 clay, or porcelain jasper; slate of a brick red, 

 often with impressions of vegetables as usual in 

 coal-mines; dross from oxyds of iron; the dead 

 rock of the Germans, or red sand-stone; slate 

 reduced to impalpable powder; a kind of tufo 

 composed of powder and sand ; besides sulphur, 

 alum, and ammoniac. 



His account of the hill of Fontaynes, where 



the coal-mines took fire about the year 1?63, is 



curious, and may give the reader a complete 



idea of a fumavol or volcanello in its greatest ac- 



ivity. 



" The hill of Fontavnes, situated near Ca- HiiiofFon- 



taynes. 



mac, is surmounted by two adjacent houses, 

 b nning the hamlet of Fontaynes, in the parish of 

 Albin ; the lower house belongs to Muratels, 

 and the upper to a person named Capelle, pro- 

 Drtetor of the mountain. The fire having de- 

 troyed his plantation of chesnuts; and his coal- 

 nine, which was of the first quality; now threat- 



