14 2 ~R E 3VX A F . . K S o n - ■ t 'h e
the night before, and we were not gone a mile up the fides o f the
hill from the watering-place, when we came to a fpot clear o f wood
and o f reeds, -where we faw a fmoak or fleam rififtg from the
ground ; its fmell was ftrongly fulphureoüs ; and the earth was- fo
intenfely hot, that we could hardly Hand on it. T h e foil about
thefe fpiracles looked whitifh like clay : and in other places of
its neighbourhood like red ochre. Th e fumes rifing were real
fleams, and in all appearance- not- noxious to vegetation ; for I
obfervêd feveral fig-treés loaded with fruit, within 2 of 3 yards o f
them. I traced thefe iolfataras up the hill,'’ in feveral Other places^
and as that day, the-volcano made a great many lprud ’explofibns., we-
-could plainly .Tee, that a new -quantityof- vapours iëfe from thefe
fpiracles after each explofion. I traced thefe fpiracles another time
.likcwife, down the hill, within a Few .yards'of the Tea-, whert at
high Water mark, feveral hot wells Were found by us.
From the fhip we obferved, that the volcano threw up ignited
ilones o f an immenfe fize.: for as we were about 6 or 8 miles off;
±he floues mufl. be o f a eonfiderahle bulk to be vifiblc at- fueh i
diflanee, When We le f t The ifiand, there appeared : oh tlib otiffidè
•of the volcano., among the.afhes., a fmoaking ridge, ■ wliiék Wis
not obferved at-fitfl wh'eitwe came info the harbour.- And Ts I had
before feefi on- a cliff-near thé fêa, fidflie pieces o f ;làvsf,-" it" -is
probable this fmoaking plieë, contained à ftrgâto o f ignited flagsforming
C H A .N G E S o f , o u r G L O B E. 1 4 3 '
forming, when.cold, the lava-. - A l l the environs.-of the- volcano are c h a n g e s
covered with afllesj the fand' on the fea fhore con-fifled o f them, gx.0ffr
and the foil on the. hills was miked with them : which I found to.
coniiil o f fmall pieces o f pum-ice-flone, of fmall.' portions o f
fhlning, irregularly, fhaped glaffes, ffemitranfparent flags >of white,
pellucid, irregular pieces like Sh e r l , or. glafs,, o f.fhining, fibrous,,
acerofe particles, like afheft j. and.laflly,. of-fome black; opaque, irregular
atoms. Thefe.a-fhesjellat the diflance of' 8 or. 10 miles on one
fide or the other, according as the winds, blew.. ’ From- the preceding
account I have reafon to draw the following corollaries,.
Firji, Volcanos, are not always formed on the higheil mountains,
but are fometimes- On a lower ridge, in the neighbourhood of
flill higher hills. I.w ill not.deny that there may be inflances, where
volcanos occupy the fummit-s o f great,, high-.mountains, bat :I fuppofe.
they are found both in high- and low hills..
Mr. de Buffbn in- his moft ingenious work,- on- t-he Theory o f the
Earth, , pretends that volcanos are never to be -met- with but in high
mountains- This, aflertion feems- not to. correfpond- with .our experience,
for a hill of.about 1-50 yards at highefl,. deferves fcarcely to-
be called.a high mountain, nor are thole volcanos, we faw at.
To-foba and Ambrrym much-higher.
Secondly, A great many volcanos, i f not the greater- part of
them, are found on ifles or on the continent, at.no great diflance from
the fea. Such are, iEtna,, Stromboli,. Lipari, and Vulcano, ■
6 Fiiogo,