74 
COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 
resembling those of the New Zealand “ Pink Terrace,” 
and phenomena of like nature exist in the surrounding 
country. 
To the north numerous volcanoes occur in the Cama¬ 
rines, forming a sort of group. The chief of them are 
Isarog, Kolasi, Labot, and pernacci. At the present time 
they are extinct, but there is no doubt that at no very dis¬ 
tant epoch their eruptions added the Camarines and Albay 
provinces to Luzon, and that Albay was also formerly a 
distinct island from the Camarines. Immediately south 
of the Laguna de Bay is another similar group—Majaijay 
or Banahao (7326 feet), S. Cristobal (7654 feet), Maqui- 
ling (3780 feet), and Taal being the principal peaks. 
All except Taal are inactive, but Maquiling has solfataras 
and hot springs at its base, and the latter, being of con¬ 
siderable therapeutic repute, are the site of a hospital 
which, though only commenced a few years ago, was 
never finished, and has now fallen into ruin. Taal is one 
of the most singular volcanoes on the surface of the 
globe. It consists of a volcanic cone emerging from a 
lake, which appears to occupy the enormous crater of 
an ancient volcano. This lake (Lake Taal or Bomhon), 
which is 17 miles long and 11 wide, is so surrounded 
with steep hills as to have the appearance of a huge 
cauldron of water. It is about 600 feet in depth, and 
from its centre rises the island cone, which, though 3 
miles in its longest diameter, is only 767 feet high, and 
is thus remarkable as being probably the lowest active 
volcano in existence. The crater is an irregular oval, and 
is about three-quarters of a mile across in its widest part. 
At the bottom are two or three lakes, the water of one 
of which is of a brilliant apple-green in colour. Another, 
bright yellow, smokes and boils over perpetually. The 
principal eruptions of Taal occurred in the years 1709, 
