ward by Captain Cook, the first of whom called what he had discovered Sierra del Esperitu Santo; the next, the Archipelago of the Great Cyclades; and the last, who visited each island, the New Hebrides, are situated between the latitudes of 40° 29′ and 20° 4′ south, and between 166° 41′ and 170° 21′ east longitude; they are eighteen in number, and extend one hundred and twenty-five leagues in the direction of north, north-west, and south-south-east. On one of the islands, which is named Tanna, a volcano was seen from Captain Cook's ship, about four miles to the westward, which was burning with great fury. In the night of the 5th of August, 1774, it vomited vast quantities of fire and smoke, and the flames were seen to rise above the hills which lay between it and the ship. At every eruption it made a loud rumbling noise, like that of thunder, or the blowing-up of large mines. A heavy shower of rain, which fell at the same time, seemed to increase it; and the wind blowing from that quarter, the air was loaded with its ashes, which fell so thick, that every thing was covered with the dust. It was a kind of fine sand or stone, ground or burnt to powder, and was exceedingly troublesome to the eyes. [Cook. Quiros. Bougainville. Forster.] CHAP. XIV. VOLCANOES OF THE AFRICAN ISLANDS. THE continent of Africa appears, as far as we are acquainted with it, to have been but little afflicted with volcanic visitations at any time. But its different groupes of islands exhibit strong and striking marks of this terrible scourge. These are chiefly to be traced in St. Helena, among the Cape Verd and Fortunate Islands, or Cana. ries, and in the Isle of Bourbon or Reunion to which we shall confine our attention. SECTION I. Volcanoes of St. Helena. BESIDES the volcanoes which are still burning, there are innumerable mountains which bear evident marks of fire that is now extinct, and has been so from the time of the earliest traditions: among these is the isolated rock of St. Helena, where the inequalities of surface are manifestly the effect of the sinking of the earth; for the opposite ridges, though always separated by deep, and sometimes by broad vallies, are exactly similar, both in appear ance and direction: and that the sinking of the earth in those parts was caused by subterraneous fires, is equally manifest from the stones; for some of them, especially those in the bottom of the vallies, are burnt almost to a cinder; in some there are small bubbles, like those that are seen in glass which has been urged almost to fusion; and some, though at first sight they do not appear to have been exposed to the action of great heat, will be found, upon a closer inspection, to contain small pieces of extraneous bodies, as, particularly, mundick, which have yielded to the power of fire, though it was not sufficient to alter the appearance of the stone which contained them. SECTION II. Volcanoes of the Cape Verd Islands. THIS group of islands afford several that have been long extinct. Among those that are occasionally active, the chief is to be found in the island of Fogo or Fuego. This is situated in latitude 15° 20′ north, is much higher than any of the rest, and appears at sea like one continued mountain. In sailing by it, no valleys are to be seen, these only resembling gutters, made by torrents of rain running down the mountain: but when a person is on shore, near one of these seeming gutters, he finds that they are deep vallies bounded by lofty mountains. On the top is a volcano, which may be seen at a great distance at sea. It sometimes casts forth fragments of rock, of an amazing size, to a vast height, with a noise like that of the loudest thunder; and sometimes torrents of flaming brimstone pour from the peak, like bitants can gather what quantities of that mineral substance they please. It is not unlike common brimstone, but is of a much brighter colour, and on being burnt, gives a clearer flame. At other times, the volcano casts forth such an amazing quantity of ashes, that the adjacent parts are covered, and many goats smothered. SECTION III. Volcanoes of the Canaries. THE principal volcanoes belonging to this group of islands are to be met with in Lancerota, Fuertaventura, Palma, and Teneriffe. In Lancerota and Fuertaventura, are many hills that were formerly volcanoes, the tops of which are of a small circumference, and are hollow for a little way downward; the edges of the tops being usually narrow and sharp, and on the outside is generally seen a great deal of black dust, and burnt stone, like pumice-stone, only darker and more ponderous. No eruptions have been known to happen for several ages, except one at Lancerota, which, about sixty years ago, broke out on the south-west part of the island, throwing out such an immense quantity of ashes and huge stones, and with so dreadful a noise, that many of the inhabitants, leaving their houses, fled to Fuertaventura; but some time after, finding that those who ven. tured to stay had received no hurt, they took courage, and returned, This volcano was near the sea, in a place remote from any habi. tation. At a small distance from it, a pillar of smoke issued from the sea, and afterwards a small pyramidical rock arose, which still continues. This rock was joined to the island by the matter thrown out of the volcano. The noise of the eruption was so loud, that it was heard at Teneriffe, although at the distance of forty leagues, which was probably occasioned by the wind generally blowing from Lancerota toward that island. PALMA is a high and spacious mountain, steep on all sides. It is called La Caldera, or the Cauldron, from a hollow like that on the Peak of Teneriffe. The summit is about two leagues in circumference, from which, on the inside, the Cauldron descends gradually to the bottom, which is a space of about thirty acres. On the de clivity of the inside spring several rivulets, which, joining together at the bottom, issue in one stream through a passage to the outside |