On the 18th of July the captain of the Sicilian ship discovered that an island had arisen out of the sea at the spot whence the appearances before described had proceeded. It had already attained a height of nearly twelve feet, and had in its centre a crater, which vomited forth immense jets of steam, along with ashes, cinders, stones, &c. The water which boiled in this crater was reddish, and the cinders, which covered the sea all round the island, were of a chocolate colour. The island subsequently attained a height of upwards of 90 feet at its highest point, and a circumference of about three-quarters of a mile. A channel of communication was also opened between the sea and the interior of the crater, which had a diameter of about 650 feet. The vapours and other matters thrown up from the mouth of the volcano formed a luminous column upwards of 200 feet in height.
On the 29th of September it was visited by the French gentleman who gave it the name of Julia, and it then presented the appearance which we have sketched. He landed with a party and proceeded to examine the crater, in which he found a circular basin filled with reddish water, almost boiling hot, and fresh. This basin was nearly 200 feet in diameter. There rose from the water bubbles of gas, which made it appear as if it were boiling. The water was not quite at the boiling point, however, yet the bubbles of gas were sufficiently hot to burn the fingers.
[Illustration: Crater of Julia, or Graham's Island.]
These bubbles rose from a great depth, and each, on bursting, which it did with a feeble report, threw out sand and cinders. At a short distance from the crater there rose sulphurous vapours, which deposited sulphur and salt. The loose dust and ashes forming the soil of the island were hot, and walking on them was difficult. The foregoing woodcut will give you an idea of the appearance which the crater presented to those visitors.
In the following month of October nothing remained of this wonderful island but a hillock of sand and cinders; and at the end of six months it had quite vanished. Soundings taken a few years ago show ten feet of water over the spot, so that, although the island has disappeared, there is still a shoal left behind. This temporary volcano is best known in England under the name of Graham's Island; so called after an English naval officer of that name, who was the first to set foot on it, and who planted upon it the English flag, so claiming it for his sovereign. The Sicilians allege this to be the reason why it disappeared so soon—that it was in a hurry to escape from under the English yoke.
Similar phenomena have been taking place during the past year, 1866, in the Bay of Santorin, situated in the island of that name, which lies to the northward of Crete. There are several islands in the bay, all apparently of volcanic origin, and one of them was thrown up about three centuries before the beginning of the Christian era. Last year their number was increased by a series of eruptions similar in their attendant circumstances to those which accompanied the upheaval of Julia. The first warnings were given on the 30th of January 1866, by low underground rumblings, and slight movements of the ground at the south end of New Kammeni, one of the formerly upheaved islands in the bay. Next day these phenomena increased in violence, and quantities of gas bubbled up from the sea. On the 1st of February, reddish flames ascended from the water, and on the 2nd there rose, out of the harbour of Voulcano, an island, which was christened "George." The volcanic agitation was prolonged during February and March—the upheaval of other two islands being the result. Whether these additional islands will continue permanently above water remains to be seen.
CHAPTER VI.
Peak of Teneriffe—Its Crater—Eruption of Chahorra—Palma—Great
Caldera—Lancerote—Great Eruption—Sudden Death—Fuego, Cape de
Verde Islands—Cotopaxi—Its Appearance—Great Eruptive
Force—Tunguragua—Great Eruption of Mud and Water—Fish thrown
out—Quito—Its Overthrow—Pichinca—Humboldt's Ascent—Narrow
Escape—Antisana—Sangay—Rancagua—Chillan—Masaya
The Island of Teneriffe is celebrated for its magnificent snow-clad peak. On referring to the woodcut of this volcano at page 11, you will observe in what a sharp point the cone terminates, and how slender is the column of vapour at its summit. The crater at the top is comparatively small—its greatest diameter being 300, and its smallest 200 feet, while its depth is only about 100 feet. From this crater there has been no eruption since 1706, when the finest harbour in the island was destroyed. But from the side of the peak there rises a supplementary mountain named Chahorra, on the top of which there is also a crater, whence there was an eruption in 1798. So great was its violence, that masses of rock were thrown to a height of upwards of 3000 feet. In the neighbouring island of Palma there is a volcanic crater named the Great Caldera, whose depth is said to be upwards of 5000 feet.
Almost due east of Palma, and much nearer the African coast, lies the Island of Lancerote, on which are a great many volcanic cones, arranged nearly in a straight line. These were for the most part formed by a long series of eruptions which took place during the years from 1730 to 1736. Such immense quantities of lava were poured forth in the course of those six years, that about a third of the surface of the island was covered by them, and many towns and villages were destroyed. St. Catalina, a populous and thriving town, was first overflowed by a lava-stream, and then a new crater burst forth on its very site, raising over it a hill 400 feet high. All the cattle in the island fell down dead in one day, and nearly about the same time—they were suffocated by deadly vapours that rose from the ground. The volcanic activity of this island was renewed in August 1824, when there was formed, near the port of Rescif, a new crater, which vomited forth such quantities of stones, ashes, and other volcanic matters, that in the short space of twenty-four hours they formed a hill of considerable height.