ON ITS EXTERIOR. VOLCANOES. 251 



volcanoes presents a far more striking case. The vol- 

 cano of Sangay, 17,052 feet high, is much more active 

 than the little volcano of Stromboli (2957 feet); of 

 all known volcanoes it is the one which shows the 

 greatest number of eruptions of far-shining fiery scoriae, 

 in short intervals of time. Instead of bewildering our- 

 selves amidst hypotheses on the causal relations of inac- 

 cessible phsenomena, we may here, in preference, pause 

 to consider six points on the earth's surface, which are 

 peculiarly important and instructive in the history of 

 volcanic activity : Stromboli ; the Chimsera in Lycia ; 

 the ancient volcano of Masaya ; the very recent one of 

 Izalco ; Fogo, in the Cape de Verde Islands ; and the 

 colossal Sangay. 



The Chimsera in Lycia, and Stromboli, the ancient 

 Strongyle, are the two igneous phsenomena of volcanic 

 activity, whose historically proved permanence reaches 

 farthest back. The conical hill of Stromboli, a dolerite 

 rock, is twice as high as the volcano in the island of 

 Volcano (Hiera, Thermessa), whose last great eruption 

 was in 1775. The uninterrupted activity of Stromboli 

 was compared by Strabo and Pliny with that of Lipari, 

 the ancient Meligunis ; but " its flame " (i. e. its emitted 

 scoriae) is said to possess " with less heat, greater purity, 

 and a stronger light." ( 374 ) The number and forms 

 of the little fiery orifices are very variable. Spallan- 

 zani's representation of the crater-floor, which was long 

 regarded as exaggerated, has been fully confirmed by an, 

 experienced geologist, Friedrich Hoffmann, and more 

 recently by an acute physicist, A. de Quatrefages. One 

 of the red-glowing fiery orifices has an opening of only 

 2 1 feet diameter : it resembles the shaft of an oven 



