1867. J The Progress of Science Abroad. 365 



It is a beautiful periodical, and as we read its introduction, we 

 have great hopes of its permanent success. It ends thus : — 



" The editorial responsibility seems great, and nothing but the 

 boundless wealth of nature spread out before us, the untiring good 

 will of our scientific friends in contributing to our pages, and the 

 promise of the kindly appreciation of the public, can be an excuse 

 lor our appearance, and for any apparent presumption in our 

 bearing." 



Whether or not the little cut is meant to represent the " appear- 

 ance " of the Editor, we are at a loss to explain ; but we do hope 

 that it is not intended to illustrate the mode of progression of the 

 scientific world in America, or we should have to recommend our 

 friends to exchange with the ' Instituto Medico Yalenciano,' rather 

 than with us. But as we have said, it is a beautiful periodical. The 

 first two parts contain some valuable and well- illustrated papers. 

 Amongst these we commend to the general reader (in No. 1) Mr. 

 W. T. Brigham's visit to the volcano of Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands, 

 in 1864-65 :— 



" Boston could easily be accommodated within this crater, and 

 Vesuvius would not much more than fill it."* " As we were 

 sitting on the brink, a shrill shriek broke through the night 

 air. We could see the black walls of the crater all around us, and 

 between us and the pathway leading out, a line of watchfires, and I 

 was quite as much impressed as my natives with the direful stories 

 they had been telling me. The shriek was repeated, and it was 

 evidently the utterance of a human being in great agony. Light- 

 ing the lantern we had brought for any emergency, we went slowly 

 towards the place, until the shriek was uttered at our very feet. 

 We hastily examined the cracks and called, but there was no answer, 

 and all was still. We looked everywhere, finding no one, and 

 turned to go back, thinking some poor kanaka, venturing down in 

 the dark, had fallen into some crack, and at last died. 



" We had gone but a few rods when the shriek was repeated. 

 The natives clung to me in mortal terror, but I insisted on going 

 back, and placing the lantern on a rock, we sat down to await 

 developments ; it seemed as though the question, ' Are there any 



* P. 17. 



