Conflagrations of the Earth's Surface. 155 



ward, through that line of country yet unexplored, through 

 which twenty mighty rivers, which enter the sea in the Delta 

 of Benin, descend to the ocean. These points, we have no 

 doubt, are in a great measure determined by the advices re- 

 ceived from Clapperton; and probably the next Quarterly 

 Review may favour us with a peep behind the curtain, which 

 we wait w r ith undiminished confidence to perceive drawn up. — 

 Glasgow Courier. 



CONFLAGRATIONS OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE. 



hep pasj- re bjua j-umoji, anb pi!be pyp com on manega rcypa. 



Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 1077- 



Among the natural phsenomena of the present hot and dry 

 summer, the numerous instances of the combustion of exten- 

 sive tracts of bog and moor seem worthy of being investigated 

 and recorded. We should have been glad to have been enabled 

 to furnish our readers with authentic details ; but shall at pre- 

 sent only note the following, which have been mentioned in 

 the public journals during June and July. 



In Yorkshire the moors are stated to have been on fire in 

 the neighbourhood of Sheffield and other places. 



In Staffordshire, and in the Cambridgeshire Fens the ground 

 is also said to be on fire. 



In Scotland the moors have been extensively on fire, and 

 some tracts ' of forest. The Dumfries Courier notices some 

 disastrous conflagrations of this kind near Lochnagar. 



In Holland the fens and moors have been burning to a con- 

 siderable extent. 



From Sweden there are accounts of extensive conflagrations 

 of the moors and timber forests. 



The Etoile under the head of " Petersburg, July 14," states 

 that the marshes around that city are on fire : the ground 

 being turf covered with furze. 



We extract two accounts which appear to be the most de- 

 scriptive and interesting. 



" Fires upon the Moors. — The conflagrations upon the Moors 

 still continue, and without abundant rain they are not likely to 

 be speedily extinguished. Large tracts of sheep-walk have 

 been entirely destroyed, and the hopes of those sportsmen 

 who proposed to make the West- Riding Moors their field of 

 fame are annihilated. The fires have not only spread over a 

 wide extent of surface, but burn to a great depth, consuming 

 not only the moss but the peat underneath. In some places, 

 where they reach a soft substratum, they run to a great length 

 under ground, and break out at the surface at other spots. 

 The flames and smoke together, present a most formidable 



U 2 appearance 



