CURIOUS VOLCANO. 41 



fifteen miles to the north-east of Leon. Pass- 

 ing one night through a thick forest, about 

 six or seven miles from the foot of the volca- 

 nos, I saw a strong blue light in the wood 

 about a quarter of a mile from the path, but 

 extending over many hundreds of feet. I 

 asked an Indian with me what it was, and 

 his answer was, " a volcano turned upside 

 doion!''' He evidently did not like remain- 

 ing ; and, after having gone a little into the 

 wood to examine it closer, returned upon his 

 continually calling to me, and resumed the 

 journey, intending to make inquiries and 

 revisit it shortly. 



A blue luminous vapour appeared to be 

 rising from the ground, covering a space of 

 about an acre ; but the forest was too thick, 

 and the Indian too impatient to wait longer. 

 Two days afterwards I started to inspect this 

 place, taking with me the same Indian and 

 a supply of munitions de louche. He told me 

 he did not care going there in the day-time, 

 but that in the night it had a bad name, and 

 so we arrived about eleven o'clock at the 

 spot where we had stopped to look at the 

 flame previously. After turning into the 

 wood, we proceeded about a quarter of a 

 mile, when we arrived at an open space of 



