PART 2.1 
Mallei: Mud volcanoes of Ramri and Cheduba. 
201 
There is a notion prevalent amongst the islanders that eruptions, from the 
volcanoes generally, take place more frequently during the rains than at other 
times of the year, an idea which can scarcely be considered as borne out by the 
few dates of eruption on record. Those mentioned above are respectively—■ 
January 2nd. 
February 6th. 
March 23rd. 
July 26th. 
' August 26th. 
October 25th. 
A greater tendency of eruption at certain times of the year has, however, 
bee:(} suspected to exist in some other parts of the world. It is stated by 
Dr. Horsfield that the eruptions from the mud volcanoes of Java are more violent 
during the rainy season than at other times,' and M. Dubois de Montpereux 
mentions that out of six eruptions from the mud volcanoes near the entrance to 
the sea of Azov, five occurred between Februaiy and the 10th of May, the only 
known autumnal eruption having been on the 5th September.® 
The vast majority of the ejected pieces of rock are from half an inch, or less, 
p. , j , to 4 or 6 inches diameter. Stones of half a cubic 
Fjected stones. 
foot are not very common, and those of a foot rare. 
On the large mounds south-east of Pagoda Hill, however, there are a few blocks 
containing 3 or 4 cubic feet, or more, of rock. The height to which some of the 
stones have been thrown may bo gathered from the distance from the mound to 
which they have been scattered over the surrounding phoenix ring. 
The ejected stones are, without exception, fragments of the various kinds of 
rock found in the neighbourhood of the volcanoes, the great mass being shale and 
sandstone. These are often j)onotrated by veins of calcspar, and occasionally 
contain strings of lignite. Pieces of more or less impure limestone, also, are not 
uncommon. Bits of pyrites are occasionally found, but are far from plentiful.^ 
Very rarely indeed do the stones show any definite signs of alteration by heat. 
The only case I observed was that of some fragments of rod shale, different in 
color from anything observed in situ. On exposing fragments of gray shale, how¬ 
ever, from some of the oil wells, to a red heat over a Bunsen’s burner, they 
became first dark colored and then red. Mr. Piddington mentions having received, 
amongst other specimens sent by Mr. Howe from the Kyauk Phyu volcano after 
the eruption of Februaiy 1843, a specimen which was “ gray shale at one end 
and brick-red clay slate at the other, with the dark half-calcined-shale in the 
middle.”' Captain Halsted alludes to “ a white stone, like chalk, found on all the 
large volcanoes, which was considered as the common greenish sandstone discolored 
by heat.” The bleached-looking appearance of this rock, however, is deceptive. 
' Daubeny on volcanoes, p. 409. 
® Geological Observer, p. 475. Also Verneuil: Memoires de la Societe Geologique de France, 
HI, p. 4. 
® Spoken of as “ copper ore” by Captain Halsted, who also mentions “ silver ore.” The latter 
was conjectured by Mr. Piddington to have been marcasite, but no specimens were forthcoming 
for examination. (Journ. As. Soc., Bengal, X, 443, 449). 
' Journ, As, Soc,, Bengal, XII, 336. 
S 
