32.4 MITCHILL ON THE EARTHQUAKES, &C. IN THE AZORES 



History of the Earthquakes and Volcanoes in the Azores, particularly in 

 the Islands of St. George, Pico, and St. Michael, and in the adjoining 

 Ocean, during the years 1 808 and 1811. 



During the month of December, 1808, I examined, at the house of 

 the president of the United States, specimens of coal, lava, and pumice, 

 that had been sent to him by our consul then residing in the western 

 islands. Mr. Dabney had forwarded these volcanic productions from 

 Fayal, with a narrative of some natural occurrences there of a singular 

 and alarming kind. On the 1st day of May, 1808, at one o'clock in 

 the afternoon, as he was walking in the balcony of his house at St. An- 

 tonio, he heard noises like the report of heavy cannon at a distance, and 

 concluded there was some sea engagement in the vicinity of the island. 

 But soon after, turning his eyes toward the island of St. George, ten 

 leagues distant, he perceived a dense column of smoke rising to an 

 immense height. It was soon judged that a volcano had burst out near 

 the centre of the island ; and this was rendered more evident after night 

 had come on, by an awful exhibition of fire. Being desirous of view- 

 ing the phenomenon, he embarked on Tuesday the 3d, with the British 

 consul, and ten other gentlemen, for St. George. They ran over in 

 five hours, and arrived at Vellas, the principal town, at eleven in the 

 morning. They found the inhabitants overcome with dread, and de- 

 voted to the performance of their religious ceremonies. They were 

 informed that the fire had broken out in a ditch, amidst fertile pas- 

 ture, three leagues northeast of Vellas, and had immediately formed a 

 crater in size about twenty-four acres. In two days it had thrown out 

 cinders and pumice stones which a northeast wind had propelled some- 

 what southerly; and which, independent of the mass accumulated round 



