V. Ball — Volcanos of the Bay of Bengal. 25 



a permanent supply very doubtful, but recommends a preliminary 

 trial. 



Considering the great expense which keeping up constant commu- 

 nication with the Andamans and the superintendence of convict 

 labour would involve, I cannot see that there is any prospect of the 

 collection and refining of the sulphur being made to pay. So far as 

 is known, the substance occurs only at the summit of the cone, 

 though doubtless, if the right places could be found, it does also 

 occur lower down. But in such places, it could only be as an old 

 deposit which, on being worked out, would not be replaced again. 

 On the summit, deposition, so far as I could see, proceeds very 

 slowly, certainly not with sufficient rapidity to keep labourers con- 

 stantly employed. 



Narkondam, Lat. 13° 24' N. ; Long. 94° 12' E. 



History and Previous Notices. — So little has been published regard- 

 ing this island that a few lines will suffice to dispose of all that has 

 ever been recorded regarding it. 



In 1795 it was passed by Colonel Symes 1 when on his voyage to 

 Eangoon, whence he started on his embassy to Ava. He speaks of 

 it as "a barren rock rising abruptly out of the sea and seemingly 

 destitute of vegetation." 



Dr. McClelland, writing in 1838, 2 says : — " It is a volcanic cone 

 raised to the height of from 700 to 800 feet." He gives a sketch 

 showing the figure of the cone, " the upper part of which is quite 

 naked, presenting lines such as were doubtless formed by lava 

 currents descending from the crater to the base, which last is 

 covered with vegetation." No soundings are to be found at the 

 distance of half a mile from the shore. This account is reproduced 

 by Mrs. Somerville, Dr. Daubeny, Dr. Buist, and Mr. Scrope. 



Horsburgh 3 says: — " Narkondam may be seen about fourteen or 

 fifteen leagues from the deck, and appears in the form of a cone or 

 pyramid with its summit broken off ; it is bold and safe to approach 

 all round." 



Mr. S. Kurz, in his report on the vegetation of the Andaman 

 Islands, writes : — " Narkondam Island has an extinct volcano 

 remarkable for the great height of its cone, being twice as high as 

 its outer wall. Owing to the great height of the cone (perhaps 

 2,000 feet) in proportion to the surrounding wall, this island must 

 have sunk very much, or the volcano must have been formed from a 

 considerable depth in the sea." Mr. Kurz gives an outline sketch 

 of the island as it appeared to him from a distance of twenty miles. 



In a paper on the geology of the neighbourhood of Port Blair, 4 I 

 made a few remarks on the appearance of Narkondam as seen from 

 a few miles distance. I then accepted the height of the cone, 2,150 



1 Embassy to Ava. vol. i. 1827, p. 167. 



2 On the Difference of Level in Indian Coal-fields, J. A. S. B. vol. vii. Also in 

 the Coal Committee's Eeport, and in Corbyn's Indian Keview. 



3 Indian Directory, fifth edition, vol. ii. 1843, p. 55. 



4 J. A. S. B. vol. xxxix. part ii. 1870, p. 231. 



