456 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
the great crater has ejected dense volumes of dark smoke, whereas, under 
ordinary circumstances, when the volcano is in a state of repose, a wreath of 
light vapour, at times scarcely perceptible, is all that is emitted .... The 
damage caused by the eruption has been trifling, the lava not having reached 
the highly cultivated region. 
Some very excellent observations bave also been com- 
municated by M. Fouque to M. Ste. Claire Deville^ the 
eminent chemist_, who has devoted much attention of late years 
to volcanic gaseous emanations, and who in his turn has ren- 
dered them with his own valuable comments to the French 
Academy. M. Fouque^s description of the principal lava-course 
conveys an admirable idea of its nature and progress ; — 
The ground (he says) over which the lava firgt spread presents a slope of 
about 4° or 5°. After having overrun this space, destroying everything in 
its way, and leaving only some rare islets of vegetation between its courses, 
the current of lava abutted upon an ancient cone of eruption — Monte 
StorneUo. There it divided itself into two arms — one to the west, which 
continued its progress with extreme slowness ; the other, on the contrary, 
passing to the east of that mountain, precipitated itself into the narrow and 
deep valley of Colla-Vecchio, embanked between Mount Stornello and the 
.chain of the Serra de la Bofia. At this point, the lava precipitated itself 
:froni a height of 150 feet, carrying on its surface solidifled blocks, which fell 
with a crashing fracas on the top of the flery cascade. The valley was soon 
.entirely heaped up, and the current continued its march for a length of about 
two miles, and Anally became arrested on the site of an ancient lava, called 
the Sciarra de la Scorcia Yacca, at an altitude of some 2,400 feet. 
Such is the picture he draws on the 6th February. Since 
that period the coulee of the Scorcia Yacca has entirely ceased 
4o advance. The western branch, on the contrary, has con- 
tinued its progress, dividing itself into two narrow streams, at 
an altitude of about 4,000 feet, both situated between Stornello 
and Crisimo — that nearest to the former M. Fouque calls the 
'Coulee Antonio; its progress was arrested on the 21st February, 
.at an altitude of above 3,000 feet. The one next Crisimo, 
which he styles the Coulee Carmelo, made way four days later, 
and then stopped at an elevation of above 3,500 feet. These 
two streams, although perfectly stationary at their termina- 
tions, still continued, on the 10th March, to make daily slight 
lateral extensions. The craters of eruption, which he counts 
at seven, are all situated on a large ellipse, the longest 
diameter of which is evidently in a line E. 30° IST., and are 
about 1 50 to 200 feet in height. M. Fouque has made many 
interesting observations on the gases and salts ; but, as 
M. Deville differs from some of his conclusions, it is advisable 
not to introduce those remarks into a popular article. 
