﻿Prof. Milne — Visit to an active Volcano. 197 



The explosions, which varied in intensity, occurred about every 

 2 seconds, but sometimes there was a pause for 15 or 20 seconds. 

 At the time a strong wind was blowing at our backs, which kept 

 any of the lighter lapilli from driving in our direction. Coming, as 

 we did, so suddenly upon the precipice-like edge of a huge black 

 cauldron, roaring, shaking the ground, and ejecting a dense column 

 of red-hot stones and ashes, the wild and dismal aspect of which was 

 heightened by dark clouds, driving rain, and a heavy mist, produced 

 at first a feeling of timidity, which was so strongly shown by our 

 six so-called guides that it was with difficulty they were prevented 

 from taking to precipitate flight. 



The cone at the bottom of the cauldron before us, together with 

 a large quantity of lapilli and bombs scattered over the ground on 

 which we stood, were the result of 16 days' activity. Three years 

 ago, in the place where this new cone now stands, there was a deep 

 hole, from which steam was issuing. 



The great interest in this eruption lay in the fact that we were 

 able, on account of our position, to look down into the crater. 

 In the intervals between the ejections the interior could be well 

 seen, and it was observable that the sides had a slope of very nearly 

 the same inclination as the exterior. Now and then large masses of 

 these interior sides, which were black, would slide down towards 

 the throat of the crater, and reveal a red-hot interior, showing that 

 the cone itself was probably internally red hot throughout. One 

 side of the cone had been blown away, leaving a breach, almost 

 level with the plane from which it rose. This opening greatly 

 facilitated our observations. Looking down into the crater on this 

 side, molten lava, approximately level with the base of the cone, could 

 be seen. At each explosion it rose in waves, and swayed about 

 heavily like a huge basin of mercury, a little of it being apparently 

 pushed forward through the breach to add to a small black-looking 

 stream upon the outside. The explosions, which I have referred to 

 several times as resembling outbursts of steam, might be compared 

 to the escape of steam from a slowly-working non-condensing steam 

 engine greatly magnified. 



On listening attentively, a rattling could sometimes be heard, 

 reminding one of stones and pebbles on a beach driven forwards 

 and drawn backwards by the advancing and retreating surge. 

 This I think could hardly be due to the churning of stones in 

 the mouth of the crater, which was not only short, but it expanded 

 upwards, forming a funnel-shaped opening. Nor was it in the 

 throat of the crater ; for, so far as I could see, that was filled with 

 molten matter. It is, however, difficult to imagine it to be due to 

 the contact of particles brought about outside the crater, which is 

 the only place remaining to which the origin of the sound can be 

 attributed. 



Each explosion, as I have said, produced a fountain-like column of 

 red-hot ashes and volcanic bombs. The height to which they some- 

 times rose must have been nearly 1000 feet. Many of them 

 appeared to be of a feathery lightness. As they rose, their velocity 



