VOL. XXVII.] . PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 65I 



creased on the other. I one day saw a rock rise out of the sea, at 40 or 50 

 paces distance from the island, which I continued to observe for 4 days together; 

 at the end of which time, it sunk again into the sea, and appeared no more : 

 but this was different from what happened to some others ; which having dis- 

 appeared, as this did, they re-appeared again some time after. 



The lesser Kammeni, which lies very near, was often shaken with the mo- 

 tion which raised this new island. From a small cleft, which we observed on 

 the top of this little island, sometimes stones would break loose; which rolling 

 down its sides into the sea, would raise, as it were, a cloud of dust. 



'At this time, the sea, which is contained within the gulf or bay of Santorini, 

 several times changed its colour : at first it appeared green, afterwards reddish, 

 and sometime after of a yellowish colour; with a stench, which, spreading itself 

 over great part of Santorini, made us imagine that this colour proceeded from 

 nothing else but the sulphur with which the sea was covered. 



The smoke appeared first July l6: at which time, from a place in the sea 

 where they could never before find any bottom, and which was above 6o paces 

 distant from the new island, then called the white island, there rose up a ridge 

 of black stones, which the Greeks, by reason of their hardness, call sideropetres, 

 or iron-stones, which formed another island, named by the inhabitants the 

 black island ; and which was afterwards not only the centre of the whole island, 

 but also of the fire and smoke and great noise, that was heard some time 

 after. 



The smoke which issued out of this ridge of stones, or black island, was 

 very thick and white, as if it had proceeded from 5 or 6 lime-kilns joined to- 

 gether; and being carried by a north wind towards the castle of Acrotiri, it 

 entered the houses of the inhabitants, but without causing any great annoy- 

 ance, as it had no very bad smell. Four days after the smoke had thus ap- 

 peared, they saw in the night time fire issuing out from the same place. 



It was then that the inhabitants of Santorini, and especially those of the 

 castle of Scaro, began to be really afraid. They considered that their castle 

 was situated on a promontory, that was very narrow, and near the Black Island; 

 and that the time drew near, in which they must expect it either to be blown 

 up into the air, or overturned by some shock of the earth. They had con- 

 tinually before their eyes fire and smoke; and this dismal spectacle made them 

 apprehend, that there might be several mines of vitriol and sulphur in the island 

 of Santorini, which would soon take fire; and that therefore the safest way for 

 them was, to abandon the country, and retire to some other island. And in- 

 deed some took this resolution ; and there was no other way left to satisfy the 



4o 2 



