THE EARTH. 



they are found to swallow up cities and plains 

 in one place, they are also known to produce 

 promontories and islands in another. We 

 have many instances of islands being thus 

 formed in the midst of the sea, which, though 

 for a long time barren, have afterwards be- 

 come fruitful seats of happiness and industry. 



New islands are formed in two ways ; ei- 

 ther suddenly, by the action of subterraneous 

 fires; or more slowly, by the deposition of 

 mud, carried down by rivers, and stopped by 

 some accident." With respect particularly 

 to the first, ancient historians, and modern 

 travellers, give us such accounts as we can 

 have no room to doubt of. Seneca assures us, 

 that in his time the island of Therasia ap- 

 peared unexpectedly to some mariners, as 

 they were employed in another pursuit. Pliny 

 assures us, that thirteen islands in the Medi- 

 terranean appeared at once emerging from 

 the water; the cause of which he ascribes 

 rather to the retiring of the sea in those parts, 

 than to any subterraneous elevation. How- 

 ever, he mentions the island of Hiera, near 

 that of Therasia, as formed by subterraneous 

 explosions ; and adds to his list several others 

 formed in the same manner. In one of which 

 he relates that fish in great abundance were 

 found, and that all those who ate of them 

 died shortly after. 



" On the twenty-fourth of May, b in the 

 year 1707, a slight earthquake was perceived 

 at Santorin; and the day following, at sun- 

 rising, an object was seen by the inhabitants 

 of that island, at two or three miles distance 

 at sea, which appeared like a floating rock. 

 Some persons, desirous either of gain, or in- 

 cited by curiosity, went there, and found, 

 even while they stood upon this rock, that it 

 seemed to rise beneath their feet. They per- 

 ceived also, that its surface was covered with 

 pumice-stones and oysters, which it had rais- 

 ed from the bottom. Every day after, until 

 the fourteenth of June, this rock seemed con- 

 siderably to increase; and then was found to 

 be half a mile round, and about thirty feet 

 above the sea. The earth of which it was 

 composed seemed whitish, with a small pro- 

 portion of clay. Soon after this the sea again 



a Buffon, vol. ii. p. 343. 



" Hist, de 1'Acad. an. 1708, p. 23- 



Justin, lib. xxx. cap. 4. 



appeared troubled, and steams arose which 

 were very offensive to the inhabitants of San- 

 torin. 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 which 

 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 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 re- 

 news 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 con- 

 siderable additions in succeeding ages. Justin 

 tells us, c that at the time the Macedonians 

 were at war with the Romans, a new island 

 appeared between those of Theramenes and 

 Therasia, by means of an earthquake. 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 as 

 scarcely at present to be distinguished from 

 the former. 



A new island was formed in the year 1720, 

 near that of Tercera, near the continent of 

 Africa, by the same causes. In the begin- 

 ning of December, at night, there was a ter- 

 rible earthquake at that place, and the top 

 of a new island appeared, which cast forth 

 smoke in vast quantities. The pilot of a ship, 

 who approached it, sounded on one side of this 

 island, and could not find ground at sixty 

 fathom : at tlie other side the sea was totally 

 tinged of a different colour, exhibiting a mix- 

 ture of white, blue, and green; and was very 

 shallow. This island, on its first appearance, 

 larger than it is at present; for it has 

 since that time sunk in such a manner, as to 

 be scarcely above water/ 1 



a In the spring of 1783, a volcanic island was formed 



about 30 miles from the south-west point of Iceland. The 



I discoverer, Captain Von Lowenhorn, in the Danish service 



