350 L. W. Fulcher — On Vulcano and Stromboli. 



by large blocks which fell back into the crater. Sig. Platania also 

 thought he could detect a certain correspondence of the stronger 

 eruptions with barometric minima. 



Prof. Silvestri considers that the phenomena of the eruption 

 described above characterize a special phase of activity which he has 

 also observed at Etna, and to which he proposes to apply the title 

 of Vulcanian phase, 1 corresponding to the terms already in use, viz. 

 Plinian phase for that of greatest activity accompanied by seismic 

 paroxysms, and Strombolian phase for that of moderate activity. The 

 Vulcanian phase is then characterized (1) by intermittent eruptions 

 of enormous masses of vapour, carrying up with it ashes and lapilli 

 and the ejection of fragments of ancient lavas, as well as bombs of 

 fresh lava ; (2) by the tranquillity of the ground — only one very 

 slight tremor having been felt before the eruption just described; 

 (3) by the want of lava streams, although the presence of fused 

 material at great depth is attested by the production of bombs. 



In September, 1889, I formed one of the party conducted by Dr. 

 Johnston-Lavis to the Lipari Islands. We visited Vulcano on the 

 21st September, and again on the 23rd. After inspecting the ruins 

 of Mr. Narlian's house and the Chemical Works, we ascended the 

 cone. The crater presented a very different appeai'ance to that 

 which it did before the last eruption. It was almost completely 

 filled up with fragmentary material, being not much more than 

 50 feet deep below its lowest edge, as judged by the eye. Its 

 diameter was about 600 feet. The surface was covered with brown 

 ash, and strewn with small blocks of ejected bombs. At varying 

 intervals of 20 minutes or so, without any warning and with a 

 rushing sound, inaudible at any distance away, an immense column 

 of fine dust and small pieces of scoriae rose in the air to a vast height. 

 The scoriae quickly fell back on the crater rim with a noise like 

 hail, while the dust rose, carried up by the immense quantities of 

 vapour, to several times the height of the cone. Since the cone is 

 about 1000 feet above sea-level, the dust column must have been 

 some thousands of feet in height. Standing on the windward side 

 of the crater, we were able to watch many of these eruptions, but 

 they all presented the same phenomena. One eruption, however, 

 that we witnessed after nightfall on the first clay (September 18) of 

 our arrival at Lipari, was of a more violent character. The dust 

 column bi-oke out with a ruddy glow at the base, and some large 

 blocks were shot out on to the sides of the cone, while a bright flash 

 of lightning lit up the scene. 



The Fossa Anticcha has now disappeared, being filled up with the 

 fragmentary material which covers the sides and district around the 

 cone to some depth. About the spot where it existed are several 

 fumaroles, from one of which we secured some of the brilliant red 

 (realgar), yellow (sulphur) and white (alum, etc.) sublimations, with 

 which its orifice was surrounded. 



Around the base of the cone, and especially on the level ground 

 by Mr. Narlian's house, were scattered large quantities of volcanic 

 5 Comptes Eendus, torn. cix. (1889) p. 241. 



