THE NEW ISLAND SABJilNA. 317 



}unk to the level of the sea. It disappeared on the 

 17th of November, 1623. 



Violent earthquakes disturbed the neighbourhood 

 of St. Michael during the montlis of July and 

 August, 1810. Shortly after (January Slst, 1811) 

 the eartli split on the eastern side of the island, 

 near the village of Ginetas, a league and a half from 

 the seashore. While the sea boiled violently, an 

 enormous quantity of water and smoke, mixed with 

 earth and cinders, was thrown into the air. Stones 

 were thrown to a height of 2000 feet. The eruption 

 lasted eight days ; a bank of pumice was then visible, 

 against which the waves dashed on a spot where the 

 water was previously not much less than 500 feet deep. 



An island one or two kilometres in circumference, 

 and about 300 feet in height, was the result of a 

 new submarine eruption on the 15th of June in the 

 same year. Captain Tillard, commanding the Sahrina. 

 visited and took possession of it in the name of the 

 English Government. He gave it the name of his 

 vessel. Little by little the island sank, and towards 

 the end of February, 1822, a little vapour, floating 

 over the surface of the sea, was the only remaining 

 trace of its existence. 



Porto de Itheo, a vast hollow crater in which ships 

 found a resting-place, as well as the island of Corvo, 

 are of similar origin. 



