CHANGES IN OCEANIC REGIONS. 



377 





Hotham Island. 



proceed during the night. The island is bordered by a girdle of smoke. The sounding 

 all around the island gives a depth of 100 fathoms. The lat. 37 6' N., and long. 



10 26' E. from the 

 meridian of Pa- 

 ris." Dr.Turnbull 

 Christie, writing 

 to Professor Jame- 

 son from Malta, 

 July 23., observes: 

 " It would ap- 

 pear that the vol- 

 cano commenced 

 on the 1 1th instant, 

 when it was seen 

 by the master of 

 a small vessel sail- 

 5 ing towards Terra 

 Nova, who de- 

 scribes it as hav- 

 ing had the ap- 

 pearance of a large 

 rugged island com- 

 ing up and falling with force back into the sea, so that the sea flew up to a great 

 height, and fell down in the form of foam. This was seen to be repeated at short 

 intervals, for nearly two hours. The masters of two small vessels, one from Sardinia, 

 and the other from Palermo, state : ' On the 13th instant, about 2 o'clock, P.M., being 

 between Sciacca and Pantellaria, 25 miles southward of Sciacca, we discovered three 

 columns of smoke, apparently issuing from the sea. On approaching it we heard a 

 great noise, like the rolling of the wheels of a steam-vessel.' The Admiral upon the 

 Mediterranean station, Sir H. Hotham, immediately despatched an officer to examine and 

 ascertain the exact position of the new volcanic island, which was named Hotham Island 

 in honour of the commander, and the following interesting particulars were reported : 

 " On the 18th of July, 1831, at 4 P.M., the town of Marsala bearing by compass E. 

 half N., nine miles, I observed from on board His Majesty's sloop Rapid, under my com- 

 mand, a highly irregular column of very white smoke or steam, bearing S. by E. I steered 

 for it, and continued to do so till 8 h. 15m. P.M., when, having gone about thirty miles 

 by the reckoning, I saw flashes of brilliant light mingled with the smoke, which was still 

 distinctly visible by the light of the moon. 



" In a few minutes the whole column became black and larger ; almost immediately 

 afterwards several successive eruptions of lurid fire rose up amidst the smoke ; they sub- 

 sided, and the column then became gradually white again. As we seemed to near it fast, 

 I shortened sail and hove-to till daylight, that I might ascertain its nature and exact 

 position. During the night the changes from white to black, with flashes, and the erup- 

 tion of fire, continued at irregular intervals, varying from half an hour to an hour. At 

 daylight I again steered towards it, and about 5 A.M., when the smoke had for a moment 

 cleared away at the base, I saw a small hillock of a dark colour, a few feet above the sea. 

 This was soon hidden again, and was only visible through the smoke at intervals between 

 the more violent eruptions. 



" The volcano was in a constant state of activity, and appeared to be discharging dust 

 and stones, with vast volumes of steam. At 7 h. 30 m. the rushing noise of the erup- 



