1868.] SCHMIDT ERUPTION OF THE KAIMENI. 459 



towards the south, which is of a reddish-brown colour, and has 

 numerous fumaroles, this spur much resembling that which projects 

 from the old cone towards the north-west. The summit is trun- 

 cated, and exhibits a large shallow crater with many holes, from 

 which from time to time issue the eruptions of ashes that cover the 

 surrounding district. A low cone rises out of the crater ; and from 

 openings in this a glowing red light is seen even in the daytime. 

 This cone is subject to upheaval and depression in a very singular 

 manner, being acted on by the irregular eruptive force. I shall take 

 another opportunity of alluding to these oscillations, as observed by 

 the telescope from a distance. Surrounding the base of the George 

 cone, stretches a broad ring of large erupted stones that have rolled 

 down the slope. On the dark ground of the slope are streaks of 

 lighter colour radiating from the top, and composed of white pumice 

 and small light- coloured fragments. On the west side dolerite ap- 

 pears, of red-brown, violet, and even greenish colour, reduced to the 

 condition of cinders or volcanic ash (lapilli) by the action of fuma- 

 roles, which break out there and on the outer ring of the crater. 



The eruptions are tolerably frequent, generally magnificent in ap- 

 pearance, and can be seen in fine weather from most of the Cycladian 

 islands. I watched several on the 30th December, 1867, from the 

 hills of the island of Syra, a distance of 70 geographical miles. Gene- 

 rally there is an eruption of stones and ashes at intervals of six or 

 seven minutes ; but sometimes the intervals are from ten to thirteen 

 minutes. If Ave regard the great eruption of February 1866 as of the 

 first rank, all those that we observed in 1868 must be regarded as of 

 the third to the fifth rank. There are now also intervals of complete 

 rest lasting many minutes. The eruptions of ashes and stones take 

 place very suddenly, sometimes with dull rumbling noises, sometimes 

 with a sharp explosion, and sometimes, though rarely, resembling a 

 discharge of heav^^ artillery, at the distance of a mile from the spot 

 where the observer is stationed. Immediately after the eruption of 

 ashes, rushing and hissing columns of white steam succeed, and 

 these are followed by faint yellow noiseless issues from the cen- 

 tral fumarole. None of the stone-showers, and no single red-hot 

 stones are thrown more than 400 feet above the crater. At night 

 the intensity of the volcanic fire derived from the combination of 

 red-hot stones, hot and glowing ashes, and columns of steam (com- 

 paratively unimportant) presents a grand spectacle for contempla- 

 tion. There were, however (at least so far as could be made out by 

 the telescope), no indications of real flame, such as were so distinctly 

 seen and so weU described in 1866. We observed occasionally at 

 night, from the sea, on the surface of the still moving lava, a few red 

 spots (blocks still glowing), but on no occasion any true flame. 



The quantity of ashes that have been ejected since 1866 is con- 

 siderable ; and the irregular summit of the old cone, as well as that 

 of Micra Kaimeni, are on this account hardly to be recognized, and 

 cannot be traversed everywhere without danger. The ashes are for 

 the most part black, fine-grained, and full of very fine pores ; once, 

 however, they were white, soft, and dusty. With a fresh west wind 



