236 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP. 
lustrous light and most tender shade, their 
beauty is not to be described.’ * 
VOLCANOES 
Volcanoes belong to a totally different 
series of mountains. 
It is practically impossible to number the 
Volcanoes on our earth. Humboldt enumer- 
ated 223, which Keith Johnston raised to 
nearly 300. Some, no doubt, are always 
active, but in the majority the eruptions are 
occasional, and though some are undoubtedly 
now extinct, it is impossible in all cases to 
distinguish those which are only in repose 
from those whose day of activity is over. 
Then, again, the question would arise, which 
should be regarded as mere subsidiary cones 
and which are separate volcanoes. The 
slopes of Etna present more than 700 small 
cones, and on Hawaii there are several 
thousands. In fact, most of the very lofty 
volcanoes present more or less lateral cones. 
The molten matter, welling up through 
1 Mountaineering in 1861. 
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