THE 



GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 



NEW SERIES. DECADE II. VOL. I. 



No. XII.— DECEMBER, 1874. 



I. — The Mechanism of Steomboli. 



By G. PouLETT ScROPE, F.R.S., F.G.S. 



"E. E. MALLET — whose theory on the source of volcanic heat 

 was noticed in a former number of this Magazine — has followed 

 it up by a second paper, read before the Eoyal Society in June last, 

 and published in the last number (155) of the Proceedings, upon 

 "The Mechanism of Stromboli," one of the Lipari Islands, well 

 known for the permanence of its volcanic activity, which seems to 

 have been incessant for the last two thousand years at least. This 

 insular and conical mountain rises more than 3,000 feet above, from a 

 depth of nearly 2,000 feet below, the level of the Mediterranean, 

 and exhibits the usual structure of a volcano, having an old breached 

 crater on one side, from the bottom of which red-hot scorige and 

 fragments of lava are thrown up, together with much steam, by 

 explosions occurring at irregular intervals of from two or three to 

 thirty or even occasionally forty minutes. 



Stromboli has been visited, and its phenomena described, with the 

 most careful and precise accuracy, by many geologists of the highest 

 eminence, whose descriptions Mr. Mallet, more suo, dismisses con- 

 temptuously, as neither full nor accurate (p. 497). To any one, 

 however, acquainted with the history of Geological Science, especially 

 of that portion of it which deals with the phenomena of volcanic 

 action, the names of the distinguished observers given below will 

 be a sufficient guarantee for the value and truthfulness of their 

 accounts. And a reference to their writings will shovf how clearly 

 and conscientiously these accounts are given.'- 



1 1768. SirW. Hamilton with Signer Fabris. 

 1766-81. Stromboli seen twice by Dolomieu. 



1781. 19th and 20th July, ascent by Dolomieu. 



1788. 20th of August, 1st and 4th October, Spallanzani. 



1810. Francesco Ferrara. 



1813. Several visits by Admiral Smyth. 



1819. May, G. Poulett Scrope. 



1824. Dr. Daubeny. 



1825. M. Biot. 



1829. M. Virlet and the Members of the Commission visiting the Morea. 

 1831. M. Constant Prevost. 

 1831(?-2). Friedrich Hoffmann studied Stromboli during three weeks. Three 

 ascents, December 21st, etc. 

 1836. 24th and 25th July. H. Abich collected and examined its products. 

 1844. June. MM. de Quatrefages, Edwards and Blanchard. 

 1855. May, June, and October, ) ^_ ^^^^^^^ Ste.-Claire DeviUe. 



1856. July, 



1866. M. Fouqu^. 



1867. M. Jansenn. 1870. Dr. Julius Schmidt. 



DECADE II.— VOL. I. — NO. XII. 34 



