3S VOLCAIM ISLANDS OFF TilK AZORKS. 



li^ht yellow, in the second a reddish yellow; they bubbled here and 

 there, and emitted vapour. The master of the boat (a Maltese) boldly 

 climbed to the top of the highest cone, an exploit not performed without 

 danger, as on that part the island descended almost perpendicularly to 

 the sea, whose waves had began already to destroy it, and occasionally 

 carried away large masses at a time. 



Mr. Wright and his party returned to the strip of beach where the 

 boat was secured, and were amusing themselves by examining and col- 

 lecting the curious ashes, lapilla, and stones, which were there deposited, 

 when a rumbling noise, and smoke, accompanied by a most pungent 

 sulphureous smell, arose from the crater, and compelled thereto embark. 



They rowed round to the south eastern point of the island, where they 

 found a strip of beach like that which they had left, and lying on 

 it, half dead and stupified, a fine large sword fish. This they secured, 

 and carried back with them to Sciacca, where they found it weighed 

 upwards of sixty pounds. The fate of the fish must have arisen from 

 its coming too near the hot and contaminated water, which on all sides 

 surrounded the island to a greater or less distance. Indeed, when the 

 party started from this point to continue the circumnavigation of the 

 island, they were obliged to keep nearly a mile at sea to steer clear of a 

 new sub-marine crater, which was forming there, the eruption from 

 which had changed the color of the waves from blue to deep yellow, and 

 for the space of half a mile made them foam and roar in a fearful manner. 

 Kven at the distance at which they kept their boat, the air was so charged 

 with sulphur, that it almost suffocated them. As they doubled this 

 south eastern extremity, they saw immense clouds of smoke, now black, 

 now white, rising as it were from a rent in the bosom of the sea, and 

 attaining an elevation of 2,000 feet. 



Having gone entirely round the island, they ascertained that its form 

 was circular, and that it was then about two miles in circumference, but 

 evidently diminishing every day. In October 1831, this island was 

 visited again, and although only two months had elapsed, it had been 

 reduced to one seventh of its former circumference. Peaks and elevations 

 had sunk into the sea; there only remained one, which was much lowered 

 and no longer retained the appearance of a volcanic crater. This rose 

 in the centre of the island ; it was an irregular cone in shape, and com- 

 posed of fine, heavy, black sand, and very ficable scoriae. All the rest of 

 the island was a plain, whose level part, which, like the hill, was composed 

 of black sand, and scoriae, mixed here and there with fragments of lava, 



