2()Q COSMOS. 



taintj. The natives make the number more than one third 

 greater, taking into account a quantity of old eruptive ba- 



mous with Nindiri ; but, as Dr. Oersted expresses himself, Massaya 

 and Nindiri* form a twin volcano, with two summits and two distinct 

 craters, both of which have furnished lava streams. The lava stream 

 of 1775 from the Nindiri reached the Lake of Managua. The equal 

 height of these two volcanoes, situated so close to each other, is stated 

 at only 2450 feet. 



Volcan de Momotombo* (7034 feet), burning, and often giving forth 

 a thundering noise, but without smoking, in lat. 12 28', at the north- 

 ern extremity of the Laguna de^VIanagua, opposite to the small island 

 Momotombito, so rich in sculptures (see the representation of Momo- 

 tombo in Squier, vol. i., p. 233 and 302-312). The Laguna de Ma- 

 nagua lies 28 feet higher than the Laguna de Nicaragua, which is 

 more than double its size, and has no insular volcano. 



From hence to the Bay of Fonseca or Conchagua, at a distance of 

 23 miles from the coast of the Pacific, a line of six volcanoes runs 

 from S.E. to N.W. ; closely approximated to each other, and bearing 

 the common name of Los Maribios (Squier, vol. i., p. 419 ; vol. ii., 

 p. 123). 



El Nuevo,* erroneously called Volcan de las Pilas, because the erup- 

 tion of the 12th April, 1850, took place at the foot of this mountain; 

 a great eruption of lava almost in the plain itself! (Squier, vol. ii., 

 p. 105-110.) 



Volcan de Telica,* visited, during its activity, by Oviedo as early as 

 the 16th century (about 1529), to the east of Chinendaga, near Leon 

 de Nicaragua, and consequently a little out of the direction previous- 

 ly stated. This important volcano, which emits much sulphurous va- 

 por from a crater 320 feet in depth, was ascended, a few years since, 

 by my scientific and talented friend Professor Julius Frobel. He 

 found the lava composed of glassy feldspar and augite (Squier, vol. ii., 

 p. 115-117). At the summit, at an elevation of 3517 feet, there is a 

 crater in which the vapors deposit great masses of sulphur. At the 

 foot of the volcano is a mud-spring (Salse ?). 



The volcano El Viejo,* the northernmost of the crowded line of six 

 volcanoes. It was ascended and measured in the year 1838 by Cap- 

 tain Sir Edward Belcher. The result of the measurement was 5559 

 feet, a more recent measurement, by Squier, gave G002 feet. This 

 volcano, which was very active in Dampier's time, is still burning. 

 The fiery eruptions of scoriae are frequently seen in the city of Leon. 



The volcano Guanacaure, somewhat to the north, without the range 

 from El Nuevo to the Viejo, at a distance of only 14 miles from the 

 shore of the Bay of Fonseca. 



The volcano Conseguina,* upon the cape which projects at the south- 

 ern extremity of the Bay of Fonseca (lat. 12 50'), celebrated for the 

 fearful eruption, preceded by earthquakes, of the 23d January, 1 835. 

 The great darkness during the fall of ashes, similar to that which has 

 sometimes been caused by the volcano Pichincha, lasted for 43 hours. 

 At a distance of a few feet, fire-brands could not be perceived. Res- 

 piration was obstructed, and a subterranean noise, like the discharge 

 of heavy artillery, was heard not only in Balize, on the peninsula of 



