197 
Prof. Jli/ne — Visit to an active Volcano. 
The explosions, which varied in intensity, occurred about every 
2 seconds, but sometiraes there was a pause for 15 or 20 seconds. 
At the time a strong wind was blowing at our backs, wbicb kept 
any of tbe lighter lapilli from driving in our direction. Coming, as 
we did, so suddenly upon the precipice-like edge of a buge black 
cauldron, roaring, shaking tbe ground, and ejecting a dense column 
of red-hot stones and ashes, the wild and dismal aspect of which was 
heightened by dark clouds, driving rain, and a heavy mist, produced 
at first a feeling of timidity, which was so strongly shown by our 
six so-called guides that it was with difficulty they were prevented 
from taking to precipitate flight. 
The cone at the bottom of the cauldron before us, together with 
a large quantity of lapilli and bombs scattered over the ground on 
which we stood, were the result of 16 days’ activity. Three years 
ago, in the place where this new cone now Stands, there was a deep 
hole, from which steam was issuing. 
The great interest in this eruption lay in the fact that we were 
able, on account of our position, to look down into the crater. 
In the intervals between the ejections the interior could be well 
seen, and it was observable that the sides had a slope of very nearly 
the same inclination as the exterior. Now and then large masses of 
these interior sides, which were black, would slide down towards 
the throat of the crater, and reveal a red-hot interior, showing that 
the cone itself was probably internally red hot throughout. One 
side of the cone had been blown away, leaving a breach, almost 
level with the plane from which it rose. This opening greatly 
facilitated our observations. Looking down into the crater on this 
side, molten lava, approximately level with tbe base of the cone, could 
be seen. At each explosion it rose in waves, and svvayed about 
heavily like a huge basin of mercury, a little of it being apparently 
pushed forward through the breach to add to a small black-looking 
stream upon the outside. The explosions, which I have referred to 
several times as resetnbling outbursts of steam, might be compared 
to the escape of steam from a slowly- working non-condensing steam 
engine greatly magnified. 
On listening attentively, a rattling could sometimes be heard, 
reminding one of stones and pebbles on a beach driven forwards 
and drawn backwards by the advancing and retreating surge. 
This I think could hardly be due to the churning of stones in 
the mouth of the crater, which was not only short, but it expanded 
upwards, forming a funnel-shaped opening. Nor was it in the 
throat of the crater ; for, so far as I could see, that was filled with 
molten matter. It is, however, difficult to imagine it to be due to 
the contact of particles brought about outside tbe crater, which is 
the only place remaining to which the origin of the sound can be 
attributed. 
Each explosion, as I have said, produced a fountain-like column of 
red-hot ashes and volcanic bombs. The height to which they some- 
times rose must have been nearly 1000 feet. Many of them 
appeared to be of a feathery ligbtness. As they rose, their velocity 
