18 V. Ball — Volcanos of the Bay of Bengal. 



numerous figures which have been published. It was reproduced 

 by Von Buch, and copied from him by Sir Charles Lyell, Dr. 

 Daubeny, Dr. Buist, Von Cotta, etc. Von Buch, in his " Memoir 

 on the Canary Islands," gives the height of the cone at 1,690 Paris 

 feet. His account, though apparently derived from Lieutenant Cole- 

 brooke's paper alone, contains the statement that the sea penetrates 

 into the circle at the base of the cone. This can only have been due 

 to some misapprehension of the meaning of Blair's words, which 

 were as follow: — "The base of the cone is the lowest part of the 

 island, and very little higher than the level of the sea." 



Sir Charles Lyell, in the earlier editions of the "Principles," 

 framed his account from Von Buch's. In the changes from English 

 into French, and back again into English, the elevation of the cone 

 became increased by 48 feet, standing in the seventh edition of the 

 "Principles" (1847) at 1,848 feet. It is also there stated that the 

 circular basin inside is filled with the waters of the sea. In the 

 ninth edition (1853), Captain Miller's estimated elevation of 500 

 feet is adopted instead of the former one ; but the statement regard- 

 ing the sea inside still remains. In the tenth edition (1868) Captain 

 Miller's estimate of 500 feet, as the height in 1834, is retained ; but 

 it is stated that according to Von Liebig in 1857, both the cone and 

 outer crater were about 1,000 feet high, and in reference to the sea 

 we find the following : — " In some of the older accounts the sea is 

 described as entering the inner basin, but Von Liebig says it was 

 excluded at the time of his visit." I believe this statement regard- 

 ing the sea to have arisen solely in the way I have pointed out. It 

 is important that there should be a clear representation of the case, 

 as otherwise it might be concluded that we have direct evidence of 

 the rising of the island within the historical period. 



The next account to that by Blair is by Horsburgh, about which 

 there is nothing particular to remark here, save that he asserts that 

 in 1803 the volcano was very active (see table). 



Dr. J. Adam's account is derived from information and specimens 

 received from a friend who had landed on the island in 1832. He 

 speaks of the stones on shore hissing and smoking, and the water 

 bubbling all round them. The statement has apparently been 

 understood by one writer to indicate that the lava at the surface 

 had not then cooled down. But the hot spring was probably quite 

 sufficient to account for the phenomena observed. This is the first 

 mention made of the hot spring. The author supposes that the 

 volcano is only active in the south-west monsoon, 1 i.e. requires 

 water to bring it into a state of activity. Apart from other considera- 

 tions, it is only necessary to say that the only authentic account of it 

 in a really violent state of eruption is by Blair, who saw it on the 

 21st of March, and therefore not during the south-west monsoon. 



Captain Miller's account is very inaccurate in several respects. 

 He has given the height at 500 feet, and the angle at which the cone 



1 Curiously enough Mr. Mallet (I.e.) mentions that a similar belief is held by the 

 islanders with regard to the activity of tbe mud volcanos of Ramri and Cheduba, 

 but he points out that the recorded dates of eruption do not support this view. 



