'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎234] (407/524)

234
AN ISLAND RISING OUT OF THE SEA.
8 _ 30 A# Mi The volcano, distant about 3 miles, became very actite,
it was never entirely free from vapour, but about this time a most
violent eruption took place. A fleecy vapour of a dense consistency,
but of an setherial hue, rose in globular clouds from the crater,
which convolving themselves majestically in their ascension, assumed
the appearance of a towering plume, and being rolled out on each side,
at the summit resembled (si parva licit comparare magnes) that which
is the decoration of the Prince of Wales. Into this gigantic plume
of lucid vapour large stones were thrown up, carrying in their train
quantities of black dust projected in the form of a cone, of which the
stone may be considered the apex. Some of these conical pro-
jections were perpendicular, others curved, and as they rose and
fell together, they broke out into a thousand curious shapes, but
resembled most to my fancy a grove of cypress trees bent by the wind,
or the fantastic ramifications made by a piece of zinc in a bottle of
water. Having lost their projecting power, they fell in shivered flakes
like an avalanche, and the effect of their falling through the white
vapour was magically beautiful. All this time the mass of vapour was
increasing and extending itself so much as to envelope the whole island,
and hid it from our view for the space of three or four minutes. Like
that which issues from Vesuvius, this vapour hangs together in an as
cending column, unbroken for a much longer time than common smoke,
and breaks off into a separate cloud before it is dissolved in air.
Plashes like lightning darted occasionally through the vapour, and
noise as of thunder was now heard distinctly. In the course of the
eruption stones fell into the sea at m estimated distance of 70 feet
from the island ; as the splash of which was much greater than that
made by a shot fired from a long eighteen-pounder at the greatest
elevation, they would appear to be of very considerable magnitude.
The eruptions were most violent at intervals of about tw T o hours, and
at 11 a. m. another took place in some respects different from that
which I have attempted to describe. This was attended with the same
thunder and lightning, if 1 may so call the noise and flame, a similar
burst of white vapour at its commencement, and similar projections of
stones and dust, but immediately after the latter there followed a copious
mass of dark lurid smoke, which over-powered the white vapour, and
as that had done, covered and obscured in its turn the whole island.