T. 0. Bomcorth — Birth of an Island near Trinidad. 161 



miles west of the new island, which has been described by- 

 Mr. A. Beeby Thompson, M.I.Mech.E., F.Gr.S.,' as follows: — 

 "Several acres of ground were quite bare of vegetation and strewn 

 with newly ejected argillaceous mud mixed with occasional fragments 

 of iron pyrites, etc. All over the area inflammable gas was oozing up 

 through numberless tissures with a hissing sound, and towards the 

 centre was a crater of stiff pasty c\a.y kept in agitation and puddled by 

 the evolution of immense volumes of gas. This central crater had 

 a diameter of about 60 to 80 feet, and the discharged mud was so soft 

 around that close approach was unsafe. At intervals of a few 

 minutes violent eruptions occurred, accompanied by the evolution 

 of enormous volumes of gas, causing the ejection of many tons of clay 

 to a height of 20 to 30 feet. Before each explosion the ground 

 for a radius of 50 feet heaved and quivered, and the central portion 

 rose slowly until it burst, causing the expulsion of masses of clay, the 

 bulk of which fell back into the crater in great blocks." 



The New Island. 



The writer left the locality about three months before the birth of 

 the new island, and the following account of it is from a letter written 

 by Mr. E. C. Buck, A.M.I.C.E., A.M.I.M.E. :— 



"At 5.30 p.m. on the 4th inst., at a point between Chatham 

 and Erin and about \h miles to sea, a tremendous explosion took place 

 accompanied by an enormous column of fire, and mud and stones were 

 thrown out to such an extent that an island having an area of about 

 2^ acres was formed in a few minutes. The highest portion of 

 the island is about 14 feet above high water level. 



" On the morning of the 5th inst. the Grovernor rang me up and asked 

 me to go with him to discover this island. We started at 8.30 a.m. 

 and sighted the island at 4 p.m. Erom ray observations I find that 

 the island is situated at a point 1|- miles from Chatham and 3^ miles 

 from Erin, and ou a line passing through Points Islot and Erin. 

 I had the pleasure of being the first to land, and it was a rather risky 

 proceeding as the mud and clay was still very pulpy and under the 

 crust the mud was exceedingly hot. However, I effected a landing 

 and the others soon followed. Two craters were discovered near the 

 northern end of the island, one being very active in ejecting. The 

 shape of the island is an ellipse with the major axis running north- 

 west to south-east. I obtained some good examples of the strata 

 thrown up." 



" By chance the explosion was observed by Mr. A. C. Veatch, 

 a geologist, who was on board ship some miles away. His notice was 

 suddenly attracted by a great flame that shot up into the sky at dusk. 

 With the first puff the flame rose as a brilliant mushroom-shaped 

 mass, which immediately changed its form to a straight jet of fire that 

 must have risen to a height of at least a thousand feet. No noise 

 whatever, preceding or accompanying the fire, was heard by this 

 observer, who was fourteen miles away. The fire disappeared below 

 the horizon in about five minutes, leaving a cloud of smoke that 

 drifted away." * 



^ Petroleum Mining, 1910. ^ From the Morning Post, January 5, 1912. 



DECADE V. — VOL. IX. — NO. IV. 11 



