The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-30 00:00:00

We have received letters and papers from AMU to the
6th August. Our readers are aware, from brief notices
that have appeared in the papers, that a pew island has
sprung up off the coast of Sicily. This event has natu-
rally excited much attention at Malta; and it will be seen
from the following letter that the island has been taken
possession of in the name of his Majesty's Government :
" MALTA, Ana. 5.-The Admiral's cutter tender the
Hind sailed for the volcano en the 30th ultimo, and re-
turned on the 3d instant with Captain Senhouse, Flag
Captain of the St. Vincent, who went thither in the
tender. The volcano had greatly increased in height, viz.
from 80 to 200 and 250 feet, and its circumference from
three quarters to a mile and a quarter. It was in great
activity, throwing up a vast quantity of ashes, which be-
came hard in a few hours. The fall of these rendered it
difficult to land, but Captain Senhouse managed to do so,
and planted the British flag, taking possession in the
King's name. This, I imagine, has been merely done to
prevent any other nation (American for instance) taking
the same.advantage, and asserting bhe right of possession.
If the volcano should form itself into on inhabitable island,
it will properly belong to Sicily, being about twenty-five
miles distant from that island, and between it and the
island of Pantelluria, which also belongs to the King of
the Two Sicilies. But I should not wonder to hear some
day that it has disappeared, as the island of Labrina did a
few years age."
(From the Malta Government Gazette of 27th July.)
The whole of this event has naturally excited the
strongest sensation in these islands; and many persons
have already repaired to the scene of action. In this situ-
ation we consider ourselves extremely fortunate in being
allowed to publish for general information the authentic
documents which follow :--

Copy of a letter from the Vice-Admiral to Major-General
the Hon. Sir F. C. Ponsonby, Lieutenant-Governor of
Malta, &c. &c. &c.

The St. Vincent, at Malta, 25th July, 1831.
have the honour of communicating to your Ex-
cellency reports which I have received from Commander
Swinhurne, of the Rapid, and Commander Smith of the
Philolncl, of the existence of a volcano which has
lately risen in the sea on the south-west coast of Sicily,
and of its position and appearance, during several days of
minute examination.-1 have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) H. HOTHAM, Vice-Admiral.
[Enclosure, No. I.]

Report of Commander C. H. Swinburne, of his Majesty's
ship Rapid, to Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Henry
Hotham, K. C. 13.
His Majesty's sloop Rapid, at Malta, 22d July, 1831.

SIR,--1 have the honour to inform you, that on the 18th
July, 1831, at four P. at., the town of Marsala, bearing by
compass E. half N. nine miles, I observed from on board
his Majesty's sloop, Rapid, under my command, a high,
irregular column of very white smoke or steam, bearing S.
by E. I steered for it, and continued to do so till 8, 15,
when having gone about thirty miles by the rec-
koning, I saw flashes of brilliant light mingled with the
smoke, which was still distinctly visible by the light of the
moon.
In a few minutes the whole column became black and
larger ; almost immediately afterwards several successive
eruptions of lurid fire rose up amid the smoke ; they sub-
sided, and the column then became gradually white again.
As we seemed to near it fast, I shortened sail and hove to
till daylight, that I might ascertain its nature and exact
position. During the night the changes from white to
black with flashes, and the eruptions of fire, continued at
irregular intervals, varying from half an hour to an hour.
At daylight I again steered towards it, and about five a. tn.,
when the smoke had for a moment cleared away at the
base, I saw a small hillock of a dark colour a few feet
above the sea. This was soon hidden again, and was only
visible through the smoke at the interval! between the
more violent eruptions.
The volcano was in a constant state of activity, and
appeared to be discharging dust and stones with vast vo-
lumes of steam. At 7. 30 the rushing noise of the
eruptions was heard. At nine, being distant from it
about two miles, and the water being much discoloured
with dark objects at the surface in various places, I hove
to, and went in a boat to sound round and examine it.
I rowed towards it, keeping on the weather side and
sounding, but got no bottom till within twenty yards of
the western side, where I had eighteen fathoms soft
bottom. This was the only sounding I obtained, except
from the brig, one mile true north from the centre of
the island, where the depth was 130 fathoms soft dark
brown mud. The crater (for it was now evident
that such was its form) seemed to be composed of
fine cinders and mud of a dark brown colour, within it
was to be seen in the intervals between the eruptions, a mix.
ture of muddy water, steam, and cinders, dashing up and
down, and occasionally running into the sea over the edge
of the crater, which I found on rowing round, to be
broken down to the level of the sea on the W.S.W. side,
fur the space of ten or twelve yards. Here I obtained a
better view of the interior, which appeared to be tilled
with muddy water violently agitated, from which showers
of het stones or cinders were constantly shooting up a
few yards, and falling into it again; but the great quan-
tities of steam that constantly rose from it prevented my
seeing the whole crater.
A considerable stream of muddy water flowed outward
through the opening, and, mingling with that of the sea,
caused the discolouration that had been observed before.
I could not approach near enough to observe its tempera-
ture, but of the sea, within ten or twelve yarda of it, wro
only one degree higher than the average, and to leeward
of the island in the direction of the current (which ran to
the eastward) no difference could be perceived, even
where the water was most discoloured : however as a
" mirage" pla.:•ed above it near its source, it was pro-
bably hot there. The dark objects on time surface of );hi;
sea proved to be patches of small floating cinders, The
island or crater appeared to be seventy or eighty yards in
its external diameter, arul the lip as thin as could it be con-
sistent with its height, which might be twenty feet above
the sea in the highest, and six feet in the lowest part,
leaving the rest for the diameter of the area within. These
details could only be observed in the intervals between the
great eruption';,'sonu,, of 'which witnessed irotn tale boat.
No words can describe their sublime grandeur, Their
progress was generally as follows :—After the volcano had
emitted for some time its usual quantities of white steam,
suddenly the whole aperture was filled with an enormous
mass of hot cinders and (lust, rushing upwards to the
height of some hundred feet with a loud roaring noise,
then falling into the sPa on all sides with a Still lOuder
•
noise, arising in paft pedlar; from the formation of pro-
digious quantities of 'steam which instantly 'took place.
This steam at first of a brown colour, having em-
bodied a great deal of the dust; and as it rose it gradually
recovered its pure white colour, depositing the dust in the

shape of a shower of muddy rain. While this was being
accomplished, renewed eruptions of hot cinders and dust
were quickly succeeding each other, while forked light-
ning, Gcc, op-) iKO-1 rattpnr; thunder, dartcd ::boa, in all
direction, within the column, noh, darkenectWith 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 c+f the
steam reacneci the boat ; it smelt a little of sulphur, and
the mud it left beeame a gritty sparkling dark-browa
powder when dry. None of the stones or cinders thrown
out appeared more than half a fiiot in diameter, and most
p.l them much smaller,
From the time woen the volcano was first seen till after
I left it, the baroineter did. not fall or rise, the sympie-
someter underwent frequent but not imporfant changes,
and the temperature of the sea did not bespeak any pnusiia!
influence.

After sunset, on the 18th, soundings were tried for
every hour, to the average depth of SO fathoms, no bottom :
the wind was N.W., the weather serene,
Lin the f?-,renoon of the Nth, with the centre of the
volcano bearing by compass S. by W. W., one mile
distant, good sights for the chronometer, gave the longi-
tude 12 dig. 41 E. ; and at noon, on the same day,
when in bore W. by N. -.33- N., by compass, the meridian
altitude of the sun gave the latitude 37 deg. 7 min. 30
sec. N. ; an amplitude ef the sun, the same morning,
gave the variation of 1A- point Westerly. It is worthy of
remark, that on the 2S-th Jdne last, at 9? 30 r.)1., when