Chap. 47.] Traces of Volcanoes in Ireland. 3 2 5 



of a torrent, which feems as if it was hollowed in the 

 rock, and this rock appears frequently to be pure lava. 

 If the circumference of the bafon has no breach, the 

 rain and fpring waters, which are collected there, ge- 

 nerally form a lake in the very- mouth of the volcano." 

 The Apennines, as well as the Cordeliers of Peru 

 and Chili, he fuppofes to have been a chain of vol- 

 canoes. The chain in both inftances is interrupted,- 

 and many of the fires either extinguifhed or fmothercd, 

 but many remain ftill actually burning. This intelli- 

 gent author is, however, far from attriburing to all 

 mountains the fame origin ; and adds, that in that part 

 of the Alps, which he travelled over, he could obferve 

 no fuch appearances. 



The traces of volcanoes have been obferved in Ire- 

 land by Mr. Whitehurft. -Though no vifible crater is 

 remaining between Pore Rum Strand and Bailey Caftle 

 eaftward, yet, he obferves, that whole fpace, about 

 twenty Englifh miles, is one continued mafs of lava. 

 The cliffs, he fays, are truly ilupendous, and bear every 

 pofuble mark of having been originally liquid fire. 

 The elevation of that, at the foot of which the Giant's 

 Cauf^way is fituated, he prefumes cannot be lefs than 

 five or fix hundred feet perpendicular above the level 

 of the Atlantic ocean, and yet compofed entirely of 

 lava j the fame appearances extend towards the fouth 

 upwards of twenty miies. 



The moft remarkable volcanoes in Europe are 

 j^Etna and Vefuvius, and as thefe are not too far dif- 

 tant, we have the mod accurate defcriptions of them 

 from travellers of the firft talents and reputation. 



', ./Etna, which is the moft linking object in Sicily, 



and Indeed one of the moft magnificent productions 



of nature, arifes from an immenie bafc, and mounts 



equally on all fides to its fummit. The afcent on 



Y 3 each 



