304/ Luminous Meteor. 



" ' The volcanic matter and lava appear to have flowed from 

 this immense crater in every direction, and to have formed the 

 ravines, valleys, and intersecting ridges of the island. The 

 edge of the crater, from Diana's Peak round to the opposite 

 side, is accurately and well defined throughout. There is no 

 appearance of any other crater in the island except this, and 

 from its extent and great depth, when in action must have 

 been very powerful and terrific. 



"' In cutting away the lava at Ladder Hill, many feet below 

 the surface, small bones have been found, apparently about 

 the size of a rat's, and more particularly a small rib bone 

 entirely covered with an incrustation of stalagmite. In what 

 manner these have been originally introduced must ever re- 

 main a mystery, and will always afford a curious subject for 

 investigation and research: there is but one probable mode 

 of accounting for it, — on the supposition that the animal might 

 have crept into a crevice of the rock and there died ; for if a 

 bed of lava in its liquid state had flowed over them, they 

 would probably have been consumed, nor would they have 

 been found incrusted with stalagmite. 



M ' The large portion of decomposed lava which is found 

 upon the island, together with the vegetable soil formed since 

 the action of the volcano, constitutes in many places a rich 

 mould of sufficient depth for the largest trees to take root and 

 flourish in. 



" i It is evident from the present state of the island, that the 

 volcanic fire has ceased at some very remote and unknown 

 period ; and there is little probability of its ever breaking out 

 again, as the island itself is small, and the combustible matter 

 appears to be entirely consumed. 



'" In some part of the island veins of jasper, commixed with 

 small portions of opal, are seen traversing the volcanic rock : 

 several heavy and irregular-shaped stones, containing a por- 

 tion of iron, have been found : argillaceous earths are also 

 found, mixed with a fine white and adhesive clay : shells in a 

 state of petrifaction have also been discovered many feet below 

 the sea, in a concretion of pebbles and lava, forming a kind 

 of pudding-stone or breccia.' " — Asiatic Journal. 



LUMINOUS METEOR. 



Edinburgh. — On Sunday, August 27th, about nine o'clock 

 in the evening, a meteor shot over this city, in a direction 

 from S.W. to N.E., which was visible for a few seconds, and 

 brightly illuminated the sky in its track. It resembled a great 

 sky-rocket, Falkirk. — Sunday last was marked for the sudden 



rise 



