26 KAMBLES OF A NATUKALIST. 



which, moreover, throws up the highest jets of 

 burning cinders and rocks. 



As we had arrived in broad daylight, we had been 

 enabled thoroughly to examine all these rocks of 

 lava, and at our leisure to contemplate the steep 

 ridges, the declivities of ashes, and all that singular 

 scene whose uniform blackness was only broken in 

 a few places by masses of sombre red scoria? ; but 

 the sun had now set, and the short twilight of 

 these southern latitudes was rapidly giving place 

 to night. In proportion as the light became extin- 

 guished in the sky, it seemed to revive within the 

 depths of the abyss. The smoke assumed a redder 

 tint, becoming . gradually more and more fiery, the 

 showers of sparks increased, while the concentrated 

 light within the crater itself enabled us better to 

 follow each varying phase of the eruption. The 

 explosions of the two smaller mouths recurred every 

 seven or eight minutes, whilst ten or twelve minutes 

 intervened between the eruptions of the large crater. 

 The phenomenon was always effected in the same 

 manner; thus, for instance, at the moment when 

 the volcano began to exhibit signs of activity, the 

 smoke which issued from the openings to the right, 

 rapidly assumed a bright and vivid red colour, while 

 more and more quickly recurring detonations pre- 

 ceded every jet of burning matter. These jets were 

 thrown up in diverging directions, and almost with- 

 out any smoke, from one of the two sister-craters, 

 whilst from the other they darted upwards, as if im- 

 pelled by the current of violet- coloured vapour 

 that escaped from the mountain with a loud whistling 



