VOL. XXVI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 447 



a mile in circuit, and from 20 to 25 feet high. This shoal is very pleasant to 

 the view, being of a white colour, and round figure. The earth composing it 

 is light, with a small mixture of clay. The sea appears now more and more 

 troubled every day ; not so much by this shoal lately removed, and still floating, 

 as on account of the mixture of a vast quantity of different matters, conti- 

 nually thrown up night and day from the bottom of the sea; so that one might 

 easily distinguish several sorts of minerals, by the diversity of colours they made 

 on the surface of the water ; but sulphur was in the greatest abundance, inso- 

 much that the sea was coloured with it about Santerini, to near 20 miles dis- 

 tance. The excessive rolling of the waves about the new shoal was greater than 

 ever, and a more than ordinary heat was sensible to any one that approached too 

 near, which was doubtless the cause of such quantities of fish being found dead 

 on the shore. There was perceived a noisome stench, that infected the neigh- 

 bouring air, and which we, at more than 3 miles distance, often found of dan- 

 gerous consequence. The boiling of the waters grew every day considerably 

 greater: and on Friday July l6, at sun-set, there was perceived, between this 

 new island and the Lesser Cameny, as it were a chain of black rocks, that rose 

 up from a prodigious depth of the sea, to the number of 17 or 18, not very 

 distinct from each other, but seemed as if they would shortly unite together, 

 and join themselves to this new island, as they actually did some few days after. 

 Next day we saw them plainer, and those whose tops we could only see the 

 night before, now appeared extraordinarily large. On Sunday we first perceived 

 smoke to break out, much resembling in thickness and colour that of a burn- 

 ing furnace, and at the same time heard certain murmurings under ground, 

 which seemed to proceed from the centre of this new island, as yet too deep in 

 the sea, to be plainly distinguished. 



Whole families went for refuge to the neighbouring islands, and others con- 

 tented themselves only with changing their habitations, and living in the open 

 country, thinking themselves safer there. In the mean time the rocks above- 

 mentioned united together, and seemed already to form another island, distinct 

 from the former. The smoke appeared in greater abundance, and the fire 

 which we so much dreaded, at last began to break out about the 1 9th of July, 

 at first small, but gradually increased. It was no less frightful and amazing 

 than curious, to see every night on the top of this mount, that nature had lately 

 formed a vast number, as it were, of burning furnaces, all of a bright flame. 

 One night at the end of July, about an hour after sun-set, as we were observ- 

 ing the different phaenomena of this new island, there suddenly appeared in the 

 middle region of the sky a fiery lance, seeming to come from east to west; 

 but disappearing again soon, we could not exactly observe its dimensions. In 



