86 HISTORY OF 



sulphureous steam having surprised me, and al- 

 most taken away my breath. During our return, 

 which was about three o'clock in the morning, 

 the roaring of the mountain was heard all the 

 way, while we observed it throwing up huge 

 spouts of fire and burning stones, which falling, 

 resembled the stars in a rocket. Sometimes I 

 observed two or three distinct columns of flame, 

 and sometimes one only, that was large enough 

 to fill the whole crater. These burning columns, 

 and fiery stones, seemed to be shot a thousand 

 feet perpendicular above the summit of the vol- 

 cano : and in this manner the mountain continued 

 raging for six or eight days after. On the 18th 

 of the same month the whole appearance ended, 

 and the mountain remained perfectly quiet, with- 

 out any visible smoke or flame." 



The matter which is found to roll down from 

 the mouth of all volcanoes, in general resembles 

 the dross that is thrown from a smith's forge. 

 But it is different, perhaps, in various parts of 

 the globe ; for, as we have already said, there 

 is not a quarter of the world that has not its 

 volcanoes. In Asia, particularly in the islands 

 of the Indian Ocean, there are many. One of 

 the most famous is that of Albouras, near Mount 

 Taurus, the summit of which is continually on 

 fire, and covers the whole adjacent country with 

 ashes. In the island of Ternate there is a vol- 

 cano, which, some travellers assert, burns most 

 furiously in the times of the equinoxes, because 

 of the winds which then contribute to increase 

 the flames. In the Molucca Islands, there are 



