616 THE UNIVERSE. 



origin altogether independent of the forces that act on the 

 surface of the earth. " According to the Hellenes," says 

 M. Elisee Reclus, in his remarkable work on the " Earth," 

 " water and fire were two distinct elements. Each had its 

 separate domain, its genii, and its gods. Neptune reigned 

 over the sea. It was he that unchained the tempest and 

 raised the waves : the tritons followed in his train ; the 

 nymphs, the sirens, and the monsters of the deep obeyed 

 his orders ; and in the valleys of the mountains the solitary 

 naiads poured in his honor the murmuring water from their 

 urns. In the depths of unknown gulfs sat enthroned the 

 sombre Pluto, Vulcan forging by his side, with the anvil 

 ringing under the blows of the Cyclopes around him, while 

 from their furnaces belched forth flames and melted matter 

 terrible for mortals to behold. Between the god of the sea 

 and he of fire there was nothing in common, unless that 

 both were sons of Chronos, that is, of Time, that changes 

 all things, that overturns and renews, and by its incessant 

 labor of destruction prepares the place for the innumerable 

 germs hurrying to enter upon life. 



^^^ But we shall afterwards see that, though this opinion 

 seems to be the expression of the truth, certain geologists 

 of the present day endeavor to dispute it. 



The loftier volcanoes are, the less frequent are their erup- 

 tions. The lava which they vomit forth, issuing from fur- 

 naces the depth of which is probably the same in every 

 case, it is clear that for the waves to mount in the chim- 

 neys of those which are very high a much greater force is 

 required than in the others. Thus one of the smallest of all, 

 Stromboli, is always throwing out flames ; since the days of 



