74 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TEAYEL 



resembling those of the Xew Zealand " Pink Terrace," 

 and phenomena of like nature exist in the surrounding 

 country. 



To the north numerous volcanoes occur in the Cama- 

 rines, forming a sort of group. The chief of them are 

 Isarog, Kolasi, Labot, and Bernacci. At the present time 

 they are extinct, but there is no doubt that at no very dis- 

 tant epoch their eruptions added the Camarines and Albay 

 provinces to Luzon, and that Allmy was also formerly a 

 distinct island from the Camarines. Immediately south 

 of the Laguna de Bay is another similar group — Majaijay 

 or Banahao (7326 feet), S. Cristobal (7654 feet), Maqui- 

 ling (3780 feet), and Taal being the principal peaks. 

 All except Taal are inactive, but Maquiling has solfataras 

 and hot springs at its base, and the latter, being of con- 

 siderable therapeutic repute, are the site of a hospital 

 which, though only commenced a few years ago, was 

 never finished, and has now fallen into ruin. Taal is one 

 of the most singular volcanoes on the surface of the 

 globe. It consists of a volcanic cone emerging from a 

 lake, which appears to occupy the enormous crater of 

 an ancient volcano. This lake (Lake Taal or Bomlion), 

 which is 17 miles long and 11 wide, is so surrounded 

 with steep hills as to have the appearance of a huge 

 cauldron of water. It is about 600 feet in depth, and 

 from its centre rises the island cone, which, though 3 

 miles in its longest diameter, is only 767 feet high, and 

 is thus remarkable as being probably the lowest active 

 volcano in existence. The crater is an irregular oval, and 

 is about three-quarters of a mile across in its widest part. 

 At the bottom are two or three lakes, the water of one 

 of which is of a brilliant apple-green in colour. Another, 

 bright yellow, smokes and boils over perpetually. The 

 principal eruptions of Taal occurred in the years 1709, 



