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Many islands in the world are formed of lava and scorice, and have every appearance of having been formed by volcanoes; but never until the year 1831 was a good opportunity enjoyed to observe the operation of a phenomenon which naturally strikes the mind as almost beyond belief.

On the 28th of June, in that year, several ships passing about twenty miles off Cape St. Mark, in the Mediterranean, were affected by an earthquake. On the 10th of July following, quantities of charred sea-plants and dead-fish were observed floating near the same place and on the 10th, about 11 o'clock, Capt. Carrao dicovered, at a gun-shot disan extraordinary agitation in the

tance

water.

We copy the following from Mudie's Popular Guide.

A portion, more than a hundred fathoms in diameter, rose up to the height of sixty feet; and discharged volumes of sulphurous smoke. The elevated mass, as there is no action of the atmosphere mentioned that could sustain a column of water to that height, must have been steam. That steam, however, from

the supply of a whole sea of cold water, and the powerful action of the fire under it, may have had the colour and apparent density of a mass of water. It appears from the observations made by other vessels, that the immediate bottom was mud, and that the depth, after the island was formed, was one hundred and thirty fathoms, at the distance of one mile. That was nearly three hundred and thirty-eight pounds (say three hundred weight) on the inch, from the mere pressure of the water, without taking into the account the condensation, the weight of the mud, and the resistance of the strata, which there are no means of ascertaining; but they, in all probability, exceeded the simple pressure of the water.

Now, if we suppose that the surface, acted under by the heat, was only a circle of about one hundred and twenty fathoms in diameter, we shall form a rude estimate of the power employed. The surface is about 11,310 square fathoms, or 407,160 square feet, or 56,631,040 square inches, which at three hundred weight on the square inch, gives a pressure from the weight of the water alone of the vast amount of 8,794,656 tons.

It is only under the pressure of a depth of water that such a phenomenon could take place, as the water both supports and con

solidates the upper part, and so enables the crust to rise in a mass, which, in the air, would burst and discharge the melted matters in an eruption, as is the case in those volcanoes that are on land.

The second observation of Hotham Island was made on the 13th, two days after the first; and the account was,-the appearance of columns of smoke, the hearing of a sound like that of the paddle-wheels of a steamboat; and dark matter rising up to a height, and then falling with force into the sea.

The young island having thus attracted attention, Vice-admiral Hotham directed Commander Swinburne, of the sloop Rapid, to examine it. The commander discovered the island at four P. M. on the 18th of July. It was then about forty miles distant, and had the appearance of a column of white smoke. Advancing about thirty miles, he saw, at fifteen minutes past eight, bright light mingling with the smoke. The columns then became black; but immediately" eruptions of lurid fire" shot up; and then the whiteness of the smoke returned. The same succession of appearances continued till five in the morning of the 19th, when they again s'eered for the island.

At the distance of one mile north the depth was one hundred and thirty fathoms; and when the commander took his boat and rowed towards it, twenty yards of the weather-side, there were eighteen fathoms water. For two or three miles round, the sea was discoloured with dust and cinders; but at the distance of only twelve yards, the sea was but one degree above its ordinary temperature.

The island then appeared in the form of a crater or cup, seventy or eighty yards in diameter, twenty feet high in some places, six in othets, and broken on the south-west. Through the break was seen muddy water in a state of violent agitation; from which hot stones, and cinders, and immense volumes of steam were incessantly ascending.

That was but the tranquil state of the volcanic action; for, at short intervals, the crater became filled with stones, cinders,

and dust, which were volleyed upwards to the height of several hnndred feet with loud noise; and when they again fell down and converted the surface of the surrounding sea into steam, the noise was still louder. So powerful was that steam as it rose, that it carried the dust with it, so that the whole had a broken colour, and a solid appearance; but the steam became white as it ascended, and the mud fell down in showers. These volleyings and descents were so constant that one was often up before the other had fallen; and amid the columns lightnings were continually flashing, and thunders roaring, as if all the sublime and the terrible in nature had been collected at that one little spot. Commander Swinburne's description is so circumstantial, that we shall give part of it in his own words:

"Renewed eruptions of hot cinders and dust were," says he, "quickly succeeding each other, while forked lightning and rattling thunder darted about in all directions within the column, now darkened with dust, and greatly increased in volume, and distorted by sudden gusts and whirlwinds. The latter were most frequent on the lee-side, where they often made imperfect water-spouts of curious shapes. On one occasion, some of the steam reached the boat; it smelt a little of sulphur, and the mud it left became a gritty, sparkling dark brown powder when dry. None of the stones or cinders thrown out appeared to be more than a foot in diameter, and many of them much smaller."

During the whole time the wind was steady at north-west, and the weather was serene, so that the action, violent as it was within its range, was very confined in that. Confined as it was, however, it brought all the elements into play. Its smallness is indeed an advantage to those who study it, because it comes as near to being an experiment in the making of islands by the action of fire as it is possible for any thing in nature

The island was subsequently visited by various persons, and the nature of its materials examined. Ashes, a substance resembling cake, scoria of iron, and burnt clay were the chief ones; and there were not many of the substanes that are usually discharged in the eruption of volcanoes. It should seem that only the common matters at the bottom of the sea came to the surface, even when the walls of the crater attained an elevation of nearly two hundred feet; for the layers formed by the successive eruptions, which could easily be distinguished by the salt that was left when they evaporated the water, were friable and yielding to the action of the waves.

It seems to be not an unusual occurrence, in what may be called volcanic seas, for small islands to rise up in that manner, and afterward to disappear, probably by the mere action of the water. That was the case with

eight feet broad, and its floor was formed by a single stone, which was covered with writing in the cunei form character. On the stones forming the sides of this doorway were immense figures, having an eagle's head and wings, with arms and legs like those of a man. The doors were gone, but circular holes, about ten inches in diameter and as many in depth, were found cut in the floor on each side of the doorway. These holes were so situated in the angles of recesses in the sides of the door. way, as to leave no doubt that they were the receptacles of the pivots on which the doors turned.

Those who are familiar with

the manner in which the lock-gates of American canals are usually hung, and the recess into which they fit while boats pass in and out of the locks, will derive from them a very correct idea of the style of the doorway just described. This doorway being cleared out, the digging was directed along in front of the stone, facing the inner side of the unhurt brick wall.

In this way, also, the excavations were conducted throughout the whole of the work, which comprised a line of stone facing, ten feet high when the stones were uninjured, and following its ramifications more than a mile in length; the whole of which was covered either with inscriptions or with bas-reliefs. From thirty to sixty laborers were constantly employed for more than six months in the manual labor of excavation alone; and this will show, perhaps better than any statement of measures or other statistics, the actual extent of, and the expense attending these researches. The number of rooms whose outlines were in a tolerably good state of preservation was fifteen, but there were traces of others, as we shall hereafter mention. As the mound increased in height toward the centre, the upper part of the stones became more and more perfect, until they were found of their original size, and farther, the tops of these were in some places nearly or quite ten feet below the surface of the mound, making the whole depth of the excavations in such places about twenty feet. In a few instances, however, these stone slabs were sixteen feet high, being made thus large to accom. modate the gigantic figures upon their surface.

The largest of the bass-reliefs are of human form, about sixteen feet high. Between the left sides and suspended arms of these, lions are held dangling in the air, while serpents are grasped by the right

hand, which hangs extended a little forwards. These figures are but few in number. The monsters by the doorway, already described, are the next in size, and others like them are found in several other similar situations.

The surface of the whole remaining line of wall, is to a great extent covered with human figures nine feet high. These represent kings, priests, manaeled captives, soldiers armed with bows and quivers of arrows, and servants, some of whom are bearing presents to a king, while others have upon their shoulders a throne or chair of state. Where the figures are not of this large size, they are found in two rows, one above the other, and between the rows are inscriptions, generally about twenty inches broad, each inch representing a line of the writing. The figures above and below them, are grouped together, as if to represent historical events. Some ten or more cities or castles are found represented in different rooms, and remote from each other, all undergoing the process of being besieged, and the enemy without, in every case triumphant. Upon the walls of these castles are men in a great variety of attitudes.

The besiegers are not only triumplant, but are represented as larger than the besieged in stature and more noble in mien. They also appear in many different forms.

In fine, it seems to have been the artist's design to represent in, upon, and around the castles, every attitude that warriors might be supposed to take in such circumstances. Upon the front of each of these structures a short inscription is found. These are different ones from the other, and probably the name by which it was known. As the castles themselves are only three or four feet high, the figures are small. Of figures about the same size with the castles there is also a great variety. Here a two-wheeled chariot of war is seen containing three persons, one in royal apparel drawing a bow, another by his side protecting him with a shield, and the third one guiding the horses, which are four abreast. There a king is seen riding in a similar chariot in time of peace, with an umbrella held over his head by one, and the horses conducted as before by a second attendant, all being in an erect posture. In one place a feast is represented, the guests sitting on opposite sides of tables, and on chairs, in true occidental style, while servants are bringing fluids in goblets, which other servants are employed

in filling from immense vases; the vases, goblets, chairs and tables all being highly ornamented with carved work. In another place a navy is represented as landing near a city. A number of boats well manned and loaded with timber, are approaching the shore, while others are unla. ding timber from other boats, and others still are engaged in building a bridge, or perhaps a sort of carriage way for the mounting of battering rams. In the water are seen crabs, fish, turtles, mermaids, and a singular monster shaped like an with a human head and eagle's wings.One room, thirty feet square. has its walls completely covered with a hunting scene. Trees, having the shape of poplars, are the most prominent objects. The branches of these abound with birds, and the space which separates them one from another, with wild animals. In this forest or park, the king and his attendants are sporting; a bird is transfixed with an arrow while on the wing, and a servant is carrying a fox or hare, the evidence of previous success.

ox,

Some figures, but a few inches in length, are so perfect as to have the toe and finger nails plainly distinguishable. Strong passions are sometimes delineated on the face, the dying appear in agony, and the dead seem stiff and quite unlike the living, who look as if in actual motion. In general the perspective is indifferent, that of groups bad, and that of the water scene is decidedly out of all reason.

The costume of all the figures is much like that now worn in the East, the kings having a flowing tunic richly figured, and subjects a simple plain frock, hanging in plaits. The Persian cap, almost exactly as it is seen at the present day, is worn by some; rings are quite commonly suspended from the ears, and round bars, apparently of iron, and made into helixes having two or three revolutions, are worn around the arm above the elbow, while the hair and beards of all are curled and frizzled in as nice a manner as it can be done in any of the courts of modern Europe.

Portions of some of the figures are painted red, blue, green, black; the same is true of the trappings of some of the horses, and generally when fire is represented, it is rendered more distinct by coloring the flames; but with these few exceptions, hardly worth mentioning except on account of their rarity, all the bas-reliefs now described are of the natural color of the stone from which they project.

Heretofore our remarks have referred to

bas-reliefs only. We have now to speak of a few complete sculptures, which are more astonishing than anything yet mentioned. These are immense monsters, having the form of an ox, with the face, hair and beard of a man, and the wings of a bird. Of these there are upwards of twenty, each cut from a single block of massive sulphate of lime. They stand generally in single pairs, at the sides of the main entrances of the building, but at one entrance there are two pairs, and at another three. They differ somewhat from each other in size, but their average will not vary much from four feet broad, fourteen feet long and fifteen high. If the reader will apply these dimensions to the walls of some building, he will be much better able to conceive of the magnitude of these gigantic images, than if his imagination is governed by the mere mention of numbers and measures. The shape of these monsters is not uniform, but some of them exactly resemble the figure mentioned above in the scene of boats landing before a besieged city. In these the wings of each side extend above the back of the animal until they nearly or quite come together, but in others they are so carved as not to interfere essentially with the natural shape of the ox. Their breasts and sides are generally covered with small figured work, probably representing a coat of mail, and their horns, instead of protruding, are turned around upon the sides of the head so as to form a sort of wreath.

As these sculptures stand in every case with a part of one side contiguous to a wall, the artist made five legs, four visible at the side and two in front. In a recess between the fore and hind legs, are inscriptions of the kind referred to.

The character is known as the cuneiform or arrow headed, and differs but a little from that found on the bricks of Bagdad.-They are lines about an inch broad and are indented in the stone about a quarter of an inch. Their length, if written in a continuous straight line, would be measured by miles. They read from left to right, like English, and unlike all languages now spoken in the vicinity of these ruins. This fact is determined by the comparison of two passages whose commencements are the same and whose lines are of different length. The number of different characters amounts to some hundreds, and hence it seems unlikely that they represent alphabetic sounds-perhaps the proper names only are thus represented, while the more common words have each their oppropriate sign. In the inscrip