Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1831-11-04
THE NEW VOLCANO.

~A|N ~ - w OIISSA1NOs
The Phi'omel brig of war which left
Malta harbor on Tuesday afternoon, the
18th July, with the Masters of the St.
Vincent and Ganges, to ascertain the
correct particulars, &c. of the New Vol.
cano Island forming off Sciacco, in Sici-
ly, discovered the object at A. M. on
Thursday the 2lst. At six observed a
thick smoke issuing apparently from
the sea, the spot bearing n. w. 3-4W.;
and on steering in that direction, fell in
with the Hind cutter at nine, which
vessel had left Malta on Sunday the 18th
but had not yet reached the New Vol
caDo, owing to Gains. The island then
bore n. w. by w. six or eight miles
distant at deg. do min. the Philomel
hove to, three miles to windward. Capt.
Smith with the two Masters, and Col.
Bathurst passenger, left the vessel in
boats, for the purpose of taking soundings
as near as they could approach with
safety, but had scarcely got one mile a.
way when the volcano burst out with a
tremendous explosion, resembling the
noise of very heavy thunder storm, and
flames Of fire, like flashes of lightning
The boats were covered with black GIN
ders which also fell on board the vessel.
and ali round to distance of at least
three miles from the volcano. The e.
ruption ia all It's fury lasted seven min
Wes, and when the smoke had some
what cleared away the island had in
creased in size two-fold.
The volcano bursts out regularly at a.
bout every two hours, and emits all a.
round it a sufocating sulphureous stencil.
On first making it, at long distance. it
resembles cluster or grove of cypress
trees.
Its precise latitude is 81 IL North
and longitude II II East the sound
lngs in the vicinity, say 50 yards off the
Island, bearing N. L. are 10 to 70 ia
thoms; West. a quarter of mile, ~ to
70 iathoms. At five and six miles
distance they vary from 20 to so faith
oms, The volcano appears compo-
sed mostly of cinders of rusty black
color, having only sprinkling of lava,
OF an oblong shape, and the island as last
seen on Friday the 22d, was not less
than three quarters of a mile in circum-
ference. The N. w. point is the high
est, say about 50 feet above the level oil
the sea and lower towards the southern
extremity. The S. i. side of tie era
ter has fallen in to the level Of the sea-
The sea is drawn in with very loud
noise, and occasions an immense volume
OF white vopour to rise up in the air,
curling and spreading high and wide
then succeeds rapidly the eruption OIL
cinders and lava, thrown to the height of
from 400 to 800 feet, g. on some occasions
to 200 feet, forking and branching out
in all directions in its ascent, and after
wards falling and pouring down in stu
pendous masses with such violence as TO
cause noise like heavy thunder and
making the sea for a considerable dis
lance around one entire sheet of foam
altogether a sight not to be imagined
Malta, Aug. 4.-Our reports respect
ing the volcano, since the foregoing are
very unsatisfactory there can be little
doubt however, that the island contin-
ues TO increasc in size. a boat with five
OF SIX officers returned yesterday after
noon, and they assert that the island is at
least three miles in circumference and
from 2eOto 300 feet high. They land.