110 HISTORY OF 



feet above the sea. The earth of which it was 

 composed seemed whitish, with a small proportion 

 of clay. Soon after this the sea again appear- 

 ed troubled, and steams arose which were very 

 offensive to the inhabitants of Santorin. But on 

 the sixteenth of the succeeding month, seventeen 

 or eighteen rocks more were seen to rise out of 

 the sea, and at length to join together. All this 

 was accompanied with the most terrible noise, 

 and fires that proceeded from the island that 

 was newly formed. The whole mass, however, 

 of all this new-formed earth, uniting, increased 

 every day, both in height and breadth, and, by 

 the force of its explosions, cast forth rocks to 

 seven miles distance. This continued to bear 

 the same dreadful appearances till the month of 

 November in the same year ; and it is at present 

 a volcano which sometimes renews its explosions. 

 It is about three miles in circumference ; and 

 more than from thirty-five to forty feet high." 



It seems extraordinary, that, about this place 

 in particular, islands have appeared at different 

 times, particularly that of Hiera, mentioned 

 above, which has received considerable additions 

 in succeeding ages. Justin * tells us, that at the 

 time the Macedonians were at war with the Ro- 

 mans, a new island appeared between those of 

 Theramenes and Therasia, by means of an earth- 

 quake. We are told, that this became half as 

 large again about a thousand years after ; another 

 island rising up by its side, and joining to it, so 



* Justin, lib. xxr. cap. 4. 



