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Au ” 'jT. Here the fun Ihóne exceflively hot upon us, the place being
entirely fheltered from winds. A fulphtireous fmell however,
fcrOn betrayed a kind of Ream rifing out of the
ground, which added to the heat of the place. There was
a little mound of whitifh earth, which looked as if it Were
calcareous, on the left fide of the path, almoft hid by the
branches Of fevefal forts of wild fig-trees, that throve luxuriantly
in this neighbourhood. From this mound, we
faw a vapour, or fteam rifing continually s the earth Was fo
hot, that We could hardly bear to Hand upon it, and we
found it impregnated with native fulphur. When we
ilirred in the white earth, we found the fteam coming up
fatter 5 and on tatting it, we obfetved a ftypdc or aftringent
quality, like that of alum in irt From this place wé
walked on a great way higher, and came to another open
place, which lav on the Hope, and was rather barren. Here
like wife we found two other fpOtS, which emitted fteam,
biit Hot in fuch quantities as the firft, nor fo ftrongly
fcented. The earth which covered thefe folfatarras, was Of
the fame nature as that On the firft, and had a greenifh
tinge from the fulphur with which it was penetrated. But
in the neighbourhood of it, we found red ochre of thé fame
fort with that which the natives employ to paint their faces.
The volcano was more loud than ever we had known it
this day, and at every explofiott we Obferved the fteam
rifing much more copioufly than before, in thick white
clouds,
clouds, from the folfatarras. This circumftance feems to
indicate, that they have a fubterraneous connexion with,
or are, by fome means unknown to us, affetfted by the
convulfions of this burning mountain. We remarked that
this was the fecond time the explofions of the volcano had
recommenced after fhowers of rain ; and were therefore
led to fufpeift, that the rain in fome meafure excites thefe
explofions, by promoting or encreafing the fermentation
of various mineral fubftances in the mountain. Having
contemplated thefe Angular Jpiracula, we mounted ftill
higher, and difcovered a great number of plantations, in
different parts of the foreft. The path continued to be very
good and eafy of afcent, furrounded on all fides by very
fliady trees ; but as foon as it approached the plantations,
we loft it by fome means or other, and it feemed as if the
natives bad purpofely contrived it fo, in order to prevent
being furprifed by their enemies. At laft we reached the
fummit of this hill, and Went down the other fide of it, in
a narrow lane between hedges of reeds, in fight of the fea,
which wafhes the nonh-eaft coaft of the ifland. In a little
time we got fight of the volcano between the trees, and perceived
that the walk which led to it, acrofs feveral hills and
vallies, could not be lefs than two leagues long from our
ftation. We faw its eruption however, and took notice of
immenfe mafles of rock which it hurled upwards in the
fmoke, and fome of which were at leaft as large as the hull
V o l . II. Q _ q of
>774-
A ugust,