3l6 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



done In this country, and that it is of the most 

 interesting description. The first day was spent in 

 ascending some of the lofty volcanic Puys near 

 here. Mrs. Murchison accompanied us, and then 

 returned to Clermont, where she employed herself, 

 during our absence, in making panoramic sketches, 

 receiving several of the gentry and professors, to 

 whom he had letters, in the neighbourhood, and 

 collecting plants and shells, etc., while Murchison 

 and I, with my man, went on in a patache, a one- 

 horse machine on springs. We first visited Pontgi- 

 baud and the Sioule, to see the excavations made 

 by that river in the grand lava-current of the Come, 

 which descended from the central range, and dis- 

 possessed the river of its bed. The scenery was 

 beautiful. Just as we were leaving the place, the 

 peasants offered to take us to a volcano farther 

 down the river. As no Puy was mentioned in 

 Desmarest's accurate map, nor by Scrope, we 

 thought their account a mere fable ; but their des- 

 cription of the cinders, etc. was so curious, that we 

 had the courage to relinquish our day's scheme, 

 and proceed again down the river. 



You may imagine our surprise when we found, 

 within a ride of Clermont, a set of volcanic phe- 

 nomena entirely unknown to Buckland, Scrope, or 

 the natives here. A volcanic cone, with a stream of 

 basaltic lava issuing out on both sides, and flowing 

 down to the gorge of the Sioule. This defile was 

 flanked on both sides by precipitous cliffs of gneiss, 

 and the river's passage must have been entirely 



