THE ERUPTION OE SANTORIN. 
339 
(chiefly carbonic-acid gas) issued in large quantity, dispersing 
the birds that had assembled to feed on the dead fish floating 
on the surface of the water. Much black smoke accompanied 
the eruption of these gases. 
During the night of the 31st of January the ground in the 
southern part of New Kaimeni began to sink, and continued 
to do so, but at a diminished rate, till the evening of the 
next day. The total sinking had then amounted to seven or 
eight feet and was still going on at the rate of about two 
inches an hour. 
On the night of the 1 st of February more flames were seen, 
followed by smoke; and on the subsequent morning, at 9 a.m., 
a shoal was found rising where Capt. Gravels chart (1848) 
marks a depth of 28 fathoms of water. At that time the 
shoal was within one fathom of the surface, and rising rapidly. 
At 4 p.m. it was above the surface, and became an island. 
This island was then seen rising gently, but so sensibly that 
the eye could follow its movement. Towards nightfall it ap- 
peared to be about 50 yards in length by 10 or 12 in width, 
and it had attained a considerable height above the sea. The 
rise continued during several succeeding days, during which 
other indications of the eruption ceased for the time. It was 
checked a little on the 7th of February, but soon recommenced 
with greater activity than before. 
By the 9th of February this new island, at first called King 
George I/s Island, but since joined to New Kaimeni, and 
described as the George Promontory, was 450 feet long, 200 
feet wide, and about 150 feet high. It almost touched New 
Kaimeni. It was of conical form, composed entirely of lava 
and scoria, and was much fissured. Its heat was intense, and 
large quantities of vapour and gas issued from it. A dull 
roaring sound was heard on approaching the island. Judging 
by the odour, both carburetted and sulphuretted hydrogen 
gases were erupted from it. The position of this island off 
the extremity of New Kaimeni will be seen in the plate 
annexed, and is marked a. 
On the night of the 6th of February much inflammable gas 
was observed to escape ; but this was an exceptional pheno- 
menon, and does not seem to have been repeated frequently 
or continued long. On the afternoon of the 8th, a submarine 
eruption of scorise took place between Yulcano and Diapori, 
in Old Kaimeni. 
On the 9th of February the sinking of the land of New 
Kaimeni, which had been for a time checked, had recommenced, 
and already amounted to 18 feet. The island became traversed 
by a new fissure, cutting it in half. The southern half of the 
island was that affected by the movement of depression. It 
