78 NATURAL HISTORY. 



which had issued from the bottom of the sea, to increase 

 under their feet ; and they brought with them the pu- 

 mice stone and oysters, which the rock still had attach- 

 ed to its surface. There was a slight earthquake at 

 Santorini two days before the growth of this shoal. 

 This new island increased considerably till the 14th of* 

 June, without any accident, and was then half a miie 

 round, and from twenty to thirty feet high. The earth 

 was white, and bordered a little on argillaceous, after 

 which the sea was still more agitated ; vapours arose, 

 which infected the island Santorini; and, the iCth, 

 17th, or 18th of July, rocks were seen to issue at one 

 time from the bottom of the sea, all of which seemed 

 to unite into one rock. All this was done with a dis- 

 mal noise, which continued upwards of two months, 

 with flames that rose from the new island, which still 

 kept itself increasing in circumference and height ; and 

 the explosions always threw out rocks and stones to 

 the distance of seven miles. 



The 10th of October, 1720, near the island Tercera, 

 a very considerable fire arose out of the sea. Mari- 

 ners having been sent to examine it, they perceived, 

 the 19th of the same month, an island which appeared 

 to be covered with fire and smoke, and a prodigious 

 quantity of cinders thrown to a distance, as from a 

 volcano, and accompanied with a noise similar to that 

 of thunder. 



The historian of the French Academy in relating' 

 this event, remarks, that, after an earthquake in the 

 island of St Michael, a torrent of fire appeared be- 

 tween It and the island Tercera, which gave birth to 

 two new rocks. And next year, the same historian 

 gives the following account: 



