310 Notice of Active and Extinct Volcanos. 



the more remarkable, from the absence of all indications of vol- 

 canic action from the countries situated on the eastern side of 

 the Andes, whether in Buenos Ayres, Brazil, Guyana, the coast 

 of Venezuela, or the United States. 



" It is true there exist a little to the east of the Andes three 

 small volcanos, situated near the sources of the Caqueta, the Na- 

 po, and the Morona, but these in Humboldt's opinion, must be 

 attributed to the lateral action of the volcanos of Colombia. 



" There is one remarkable phenomenon belonging to volcanos 

 of the new world, which, though not altogether peculiar to 

 them, is more frequent there than among those of Europe. 



"It often happens, that instead of ejections of lava proceeding 

 from the volcano during its periods of activity, streams of boil- 

 ing water mixed with mud alone are thrown out. 



" It was once imagined that the mud and water were genuine 

 products of the volcano, derived from some spot in the interior 

 of the mountain, equally deep-seated with that from which the 

 lava itself proceeds ; but a fact recorded by Humboldt has done 

 much to dispel this illusion. 



" It seems, that with this mud are often thrown out multitudes 

 of small fish (Pymelodes Cyclopum,) sometimes indeed in num- 

 bers sufficient to taint the air. Now as there is no doubt that 

 these fish proceeded from the mountain itself, we must conclude, 

 that it contains in its interior large lakes suited for the abode of 

 these animals, and therefore in ordinary seasons out of the im- 

 mediate influence of the volcanic action. 



" Admitting the existence of these lakes, it is certainly most 

 natural, to attribute the water thrown out to the bursting of one 

 of them, and the mud to the intermixture of the water with the 

 ashes at the same time ejected." 



For the general conclusions of Humboldt, to whom we owe 

 most of our knowledge of American volcanos, we must re- 

 fer to the abstract given by Professor Daubeny from page 

 345 to 352. 



The remarks of Prof. Daubeny and others on the causes 

 of earthquakes and volcanos, with some of our own, must, 

 on account of the great length of this article, be postponed 

 to a future, probably the next number. 



