JNew Volcano of Hotham Island, 317 



one entire sheet of foam — altogether a sight not to be ima- 

 gined.* 



Malta, Aug. 4. — Our reports respecting the volcano, since 

 the foregoing, are very unsatisfactory. There can be little doubt, 

 however, that the island continues to increase in size. A boat, 

 with five or six officers, returned yesterday afternoon, and they 

 assert that the island is at least three miles in circumference, and 

 from 200 to 300 feet high. They landed upon it, and, for os- 

 tentation's sake, J suppose, hoisted the union flag. The other 

 stories, as to the increasing dimensions of the place, are too vague 

 to speak on. 



We learn from the coast of Sicily, that the town of Sciacca 

 has been entirely abandoned by its inhabitants, the reported 

 shocks, and trembling of the earth, leading to a belief that it 

 will sink into the sea." — Jameson's Edin. New Phil. Journal, Octo- 

 ber, 1831. 



Captain Swinburne's report concerning this volcano, to Admi- 

 ral Hotham, will be found in our number for November, page 

 229. It appears that the captain of an Italian vessel, had, as 

 early as the 9th of July, seen a great quantity of dead fish, and 

 some black matter floating on the water; and that he heard 

 a noise like thunder, which he attributed to volcanic action. The 

 succeeding day, at gunshot distance, he perceived a column of 

 water, with a circumference of near four hundred fathoms, rise 

 to the height of about sixty feet. Smoke continued to rise from 

 the place, and on his return from Girgenti, on the 16th, he found 

 a tract of volcanic land, twelve feet above the level of the sea. 

 During his absence, the masters of two other small Italian ves- 

 sels, on the 1 3th of July, saw three columns of smoke issuing 

 through the water ; they remained, on account of the calm, in 

 the vicinity near three days ; a noise proceeding all this time 

 from that part of the sea, whence the smoke arose, like that pro- 

 duced by the wheels of a steam vessel. 



In the plate, (ix) the highest point of the island is about eighty 

 feet above the level of the sea, and the circumference about 

 three quarters of a mile. It is circular, and the opening on one 

 side, represented in the shaded part of the drawing, admits the 

 sea. Editor. 



* Plate 9. 



