L. W. Fulcher — On Valcano and Stromboli. 353 



In June, 1887, Dr. Johnston-Lavis and Signor Platania visited the 

 crater. They state that it was very quiet, only throwing out a very 

 few fragments of pasty lava cake at long intervals. In fact, only 

 four or five explosions were witnessed by them in a four hours' stay 

 at the summit. So slight were the ejections that they were even 

 able to land on the beach at the foot of the Sciarra. Five months 

 later, however, the activity increased, since on November 17th the 

 sea was covered with pumice. It was in a state of repose in August, 

 1888, according to Signor Giovanni Platania. 



The 19th September was set apart for our examination of Strom- 

 boli during our stay at Lipari. We ascended the cone from the 

 north side. In the crater, when the wind carried off some of the 

 vapour, we could make out five mouths, from one or other of which 

 an eruption occurred at intervals of a few minutes. The eruption 

 began with a dull report, accompanied by volumes of steam, whilst 

 a multitude of pieces of red-hot lava were shot into the air to a 

 height of two or three hundred feet and fell back partly into the 

 crater and partly around the sides with a sharp rattling sound. The 

 scoria lumps which happened to fall on the slope of the Sciarra rolled 

 in a cascade towai'ds the sea, but few of the pieces reached it. Now 

 and then, between the eruptions, a curious ring of white vapour 

 would arise from one of the mouths, and gradually ascend in the 

 air, revolving and twisting, but preserving the form of a ring for a 

 considerable time. After watching the action going on below from 

 the summit, we descended along the western arm of the ridge and 

 reached a spot where we could watch the eruptions nearly on a 

 level with the erupting vents. Here quantities of light lapilli fell 

 on and around us after every explosion. Continuing our way along 

 the precipice, we were able to obtain a view of the crater from the 

 front, that is, the seaward side, where the same phenomena presented 

 themselves. Just below one of the mouths, and for a short distance 

 down the Sciarra, a piece of lava would now and then break off and 

 roll towards the sea, exposing a red-hot surface beneath. The 

 effect of the eruptions was very fine at night. We did not observe 

 any coloured incrustations in the crater nor were we able to see the 

 lava rising and falling in the tube as described by Spallanzani 

 and others. 



Signor Platania, who accompanied our party, has written a descrip- 

 tion ' of the state in which we found both this volcano and Vulcano, 

 and compared it with the appearance it presented on his former visit. 

 Such, then, is a brief description of the phenomena presented by 

 these volcanoes since 1874. The record is indeed very scanty, and 

 there is great need of the systematic observation and examination 

 of the materials ejected. Of late years, however, there seem to be 

 more workers in the field, and I believe an observatory at Lipari is 

 in contemplation, so that greater use will be made of the facilities 

 which these islands afford for the study of volcanic action. 



1 Bol. Osser. Meteor, d. R. 1st. Naut. Riposto, xv. (1889). 



DECADE III. VOL. VII. NO. VIII. 23 



