434 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. IV., No. 92. 



shaking-up by shocks, and of the persistent 

 odor of the sulphur," the anchorage was a safe 

 one. The first impression of the volcano was 

 its likeness to an immense lime-kiln ; though 

 when the intermittent masses of smoke from 

 the crater and from the fissures, which in some 

 cases extended to the water's edge, gave a clear- 

 er view, its jagged mouth and sides dispelled 

 the illusion. At intervals the side crevices 

 gave out only faint, pale ribbons of smoke, and 

 then it was found that their edges were covered 

 with incrustations of sulphur and of a white 

 c^stalline formation. A thermometer inserted 

 an inch and a half below the crust reached its 

 limit (250° F.) in a few seconds, the air tem- 

 perature being at the same time 40° F. The 

 crust was warm, though not unbearably so ; 

 but a stick placed against the heated rock 

 blazed instantly. 



As a rule, vibratory motion of the whole mass 

 could not be discovered ; though, with instru- 

 ments, the explorer believed vibrations could be 

 continuously detected. This statement rests 

 upon the fact, that, when taking observations 

 with the artificial horizon, the mercury was 

 agitated so constantly as to permit accurate 

 sights only at long intervals. Upon one oc- 

 casion, while climbing the sides of the volcano, 

 there was a most sensible vibration of the 

 whole mass ; and at the anchorage many shocks, 

 both single and successive, were felt. 



Rumbling sounds, and a dull roar similar 

 to the discharge of distant cannon, were heard 

 at intervals ; and, though flames were seen only 

 upon two occasions, yet this is believed to have 

 been due to the little darkness of the season 

 at that latitude. 



The mass of the volcano was found "to be 

 of a species of sand rock, with large black 

 rocks scattered about the crust. ' ' No traces of 

 lava, and but small quantities of pumice, were 

 found. In some places the sand and cinders 

 were ground to a fine powder, ankle-deep as a 

 rule, but so yielding in places as to prevent an 

 extended survey. The most careful examina- 

 tion revealed no trace of shells, though many of 

 the rocks at the base ' ' looked as if they had 

 been exposed for a long period to the action of 

 the water . . . and some of the rocks under 

 water were still smoking. ' ' When the compass 

 was taken ashore, marked local action was so 

 noticeable as to prove the presence of iron. 



Near the base of the volcano the water bub- 

 bled and broke, as if boiling, but no difference 

 was found in the surface and bottom tempera- 

 tures ; and at the anchorage, where the same 

 ebullition was apparent, there was a difference 

 of one degree only between the same points. 



Though one of the party reached the summit 

 of the crater, no estimate of its periphery, 

 depth, and apparent area, could be made. By 

 repeated measurements the altitude of its sum- 

 mit was found to be three hundred and fifty- 

 seven feet. Some discrepancies were found 

 on the printed hydrography of the place ; for 

 example, the reef charted as extending from 

 Bogosloff to Umnak does not exist. 



Birds were found upon the old volcano in 

 enormous numbers ; gulls, shags, and sea-crows 

 being so numerous, that, " when a gun was fired, 

 the heavens would become black with them," 

 and such as flew into the smoke of the belch- 

 ing hill, as many did, immediately perished. 

 The sand- spit on the eastern shore, and the 

 base rocks, were the resting-places for hundreds 

 of sea-lions. No fish could be found, though 

 lines were frequently put over ; and, strangely 

 enough, it is recorded, that, three days before 

 the eruption on Augustin Island, all the fish are 

 said to have disappeared from Port Graham. 



CANAL ROUTES BETWEEN THE ATLAN- 

 TIC AND THE PACIFIC. 



Internal canals, or canals connecting dif- 

 ferent parts of the same country, are now rare- 

 ly constructed ; and many formerly in use have 

 been dried up, and superseded by railways ; 

 while ship-canals are becoming more common 

 and of greater importance than internal canals 

 have ever been. The opening of the Suez 

 canal has brought back to the Mediterranean 

 the commerce of the east. Greece will soon 

 have a canal through the Isthmus of Corinth, 

 with its outlet at the Piraeus of Athens ; and 

 the Dutch are constructing a ship-canal to con- 

 nect Amsterdam directly with the sea. In 

 England a canal is to be built from the ocean 

 to Manchester, which will make that city a 

 seaport town, and transfer to it a large por- 

 tion of Liverpool's commerce. In France a 

 canal is proposed between the Mediterranean 

 and the Bay of Biscay ; and in Massachusetts 

 a canal is cutting across Cape Cod. 



Besides the Panama canal, there are two pro- 

 jects for connecting the Atlantic and Pacific 

 Oceans, — the Tehuantepec route, advocated 

 by Capt. Eads, the engineer of the great rail- 

 way bridge at St. Louis and of the water-way 

 at the mouth of the Mississippi River ; and 

 the Nicaragua route, by Capt. Bedford Pim 

 of the British navy, for a long time favorably 

 known to the scientific world. He was the 

 first man who marched from a ship coming 



