the wind, constructed and set up by him in the High School of Agriculture. Hitherto, as is well known, in order to compute the momentum of the wind, people had either registered its velocity by means of the Robinson anemometrical scale, or its pressure by means of the so-called pressure table. The cross-cup instrument laboured, however, under this disadvantage, that it was incapable of following a rapid change of the wind's velocity, being neither able, under an increase of velocity, to pass at once to the duly accelerated pace, nor in the case of an abrupt abatement of the wind's speed, to fall back, till after a considerable time, to the commensurately slower rate. The pressure-table, again, was attended with this disadvantage, that on each occasion it had to be placed in the direction of the wind, and in the case of a relief of pressure, performed oscillations of its own, which registered themselves on the writing apparatus. Prof. Börnstein's insirument consisted essentially of a ball, 126 mm. diameter, affixed to a vertical descending rod, which by an axle-system, at four-fifths of its length, was rendered freely movable on all sides. To the lower end of the rod was fastened a long wire, likewise movable on all sides, and suspended inside a tube 4 metres long. At a still greater distance was placed a quadrilateral vertical prism, movable between rollers, so that each lateral movement of the ball became converted into an up and down movement of the prism. To the prism there hung a frame with a pencil, which marked in curves on a passing strip of paper the movements produced by the pressure of the wind on the ball. At the lower end, again, there was fixed a horizontal plate, by way of a damper. Several of the curves described by this measurer of wind-pressure were shown by Prof. Börnstein, among others that of December 4, a day distinguished by a very low mininium (730 mm.), which passed over Europe from west to east. The observer perceives in this curve a very great rise of the wind's momentum during the day, then at about seven to nine in the evening he sees the curve descend almost to the line of zero, remounting thence in the later hours of the night to its maximum. This showed that the centre of the barometric minimum had passed exactly over Berlin, two periods of intense wind-momentum being separated by a lull of considerable duration.-Dr. König added some supplementary notes to the address recently delivered by him before the Society, setting forth the results of his investigations into the state of the colour-blind (see NATURE, vol. xxix. p. 168). Among other things he read a passage in Goethe's "Theory of Colours," showing that Goethe had already examined a colour-blind person, regarding whom he was of opinion that he was blue-blind, or akyanoblept. From Goethe's statements, however, it was plain that the individual in question was red-blind, and it would accordingly appear that this was the first real observation of a case of colour-blindness.

Physiological Society, December 21, 1883.-Prof. Fritsch gave a demonstration of the model of a brain, prepared according to the directions of Prof. Aeby in Zurich, and acquired by the Physiological Institute. By means of differently coloured wires and of coloured balls of different sizes, it shows the situation of the cerebral ganglia, and the course of the nerve-fibres in connection with them. The nerve cords and the ganglia per taining to them are without exception of the same colour. The connections between the spine and the separate sections of the cerebrum and cerebellum, the cerebral cavities and fissures, come out very clearly in the skilfully fashioned model.-Dr. Falk spoke of the transference from mother to foetus of corpuscular and chemical poisons, and brought prominently to notice the different results yielded by observations on man and experiments made on animals with a view to obtaining knowledge on this subject. Infectious diseases, such as small-pox, syphilis, &c., were conveyed from the mother. Other diseases, such as inflammation of the spleen, were not so conveyed. With respect to chemical poisons, the case was likewise various. The statements of different authors respecting the oxide of carbon did not agree. Dr. Falk had quite recently had occasion to dissect a woman who died from the poison of oxide of carbon. Her body displayed all the symptoms characterising this form of death, showing in a singularly perfect manner the bright colour of the skin, of the muscles, and of the blood. The dead foetus of the deceased woman, which was of eight months' growth, had, on the other hand, normally coloured muscles and dark blood, in which neither chemical reagents nor spectral analysis discovered a trace of the oxide of carbon. A case having, however, been elsewhere observed of the passage of the oxide of carbon into the blood of a foetus six months old, Dr. Falk conjectured that

the age of the embryo, more particularly the greater or less thickness of the partition dividing the mother's system of blood-vessels from that of the child, formed a considerable item in the account. This point he would study by experiments on the osmosis of gases. Dr. Blaschko communicated the results of his investigations into the structure and embryological development of the outer skin in the palm of the hand of man and apes. On the under side of the epidermis he not only found protuberances corresponding with the regular furrows visible on the surface, but, answering to the prominences of the surface, were also found protuberances on the under side connected with the former by transverse swellings. The study of the histological development of the outer skin further taught Dr. Blaschko that the epidermis, with its protuberances and depressions, was first fully formed before the cutis came into shape, attaching itself to the epidermis.-Dr. Salomon has endeavoured to fill a gap which was yet perceptible in our knowledge of the urine of domestic mammalia. In particular there existed but four analyses of the urine of the pig, which, as an omnivorous animal, stood specially near to man, and of these four, three were of earlier date than 1845. These four analyses, moreover, all concurred in denying that the urine of swine contained any uric acid, a circumstance very remarkable in face of the fact of the universal diffusion of this substance among all the other higher animals that had yet been examined. Its place was supposed to be supplied in the pig by guanine. As the result of his examinations, Dr. Salomon found that in all cases the urine of swine contained uric acid, and that in no inconsiderable quantities. The proportion of uric acid in the urine was, in swine, as I to 150; in man, 1 to 50. Guanine, on the other hand, could not be indisputably proved to be present in the urine of swine; but a crystalline substance, very closely related to guanine, and showing similar reactions, was found; lactic acid, the presence of which in swine had been maintained, could not be discovered, although succinic acid, which comes near to it, was found. Creatine and creatinine, as also other xanthine substances, were likewise searched for in the urine of swine.-In connection with this subject, Dr. A. Baginski stated that in the urine of a diptheritic child suffering from nephritis he had found a substance very nearly related to guanine, 'as also xanthine, both in perfectly perceptible quantities. Both these substances, however, decreased in quantity with the abatement of the disease.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1884

THE ALPS OF NEW ZEALAND The High Aips of New Zealand; or, A Trip to the Glaciers of the Antipodes, with an Ascent of Mount Cook. By William Spotswood Green. (Macmillan, 1883.)

THE laborious explorations of Dr. Julius von Haast

and his associates, undertaken in 1862 and subsequent years, had, as their results, an excellent sketch map of the New Zealand Alps, and a general knowledge of their topography and geology. It was also made evident that, although the summits did not attain the elevation of many in the Swiss Alps, yet, as they were steep and precipitous, as they rose from valleys comparatively low, and as the snow line descended far below its ordinary level in the Northern Alps, there would be considerable difficulty in scaling the higher peaks. No real attempt on these was made till the year 1881, when Mr. Green decided to try his hand at mountaineering in New Zealand.

Mr.

It was of course necessary for any one contemplating glacier excursions to take guides from Europe. Green was fortunate enough to secure the services of Emil Boss and Ulrich Kaufmann, both well known guides from Grindelwald. His narrative shows that he could not have made a better choice-the two men proved to be not only first rate mountaineers, but also pleasant and trustworthy companions, always uncomplaining and

unselfish.

Mr. Green must have begun his journey under an unlucky star. Small-pox broke out on board among the forecastle passengers before they reached Table Bay. On arriving in Australia, all were put in quarantine for some three weeks, where, we may add, the arrangements for the reception of the unfortunates appear to have been disgracefully bad. Then, when Mr. Green escaped from this bondage just in time to catch the New Zealand steamer, it happened to be full, so that altogether more than a month of valuable time was lost.

At last, after touching at one or two spots on the western coast of the Southern Island, Mr. Green landed at Christchurch, and, after a brief consultation with Dr. von Haast, hastened to push up the country towards Mount Cook. The physical structure of the Southern Island is comparatively simple. A map of it bears some resemblance, except for the smallness of the scale, and the greater height of the mountains, both relative and absolute, to the southern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. The watershed-that of the Southern Alps-lies comparatively near to the western coast, and runs roughly parallel with it; between these is a mountain land, pierced with beautiful fjords, especially towards the south, and covered with dense and generally impenetrable forest; on the eastern side, between the main range and the sea, is a comparatively level district; a zone of lakes borders the mountain region, similar to that on the southern flank of the European Alps; and the lowlands extend far into the recesses of the peaks. The Tasman valley, for example, which runs up to the glacier of the same name in the very heart of the chain beneath the peak of Mount Cook, is described by Mr. Green as an VOL. XXIX.-No. 743

immense flat, from which the mountains rise as from a shore. The end of the glacier being 2400 feet above the sea, the average fall of the river is about 25 feet to a mile. Mount Cook, which attains an elevation of 12,349 feet above the sea, is the culminating point of the Southern Alps, but there are several fine peaks near it which are not very much lower. A grand group of glaciers descends from these, of the beauty of which Mr. Green speaks in enthusiastic terms.

The mountains of New Zealand are of great interest to the student of physical geography. The latitude of Mount Cook corresponds with that of Florence in the northern hemisphere, but the mean annual temperature of the Southern Island is 10° lower than that of corresponding latitudes in Western Europe. There is, however, much less difference between the extremes. For instance, the mean summer temperature of Dunedin (lat. 45° 50′) is 57°2, the mean winter 50°7 F. The rainfall on the eastern coast is much the same as on the English lowlands, being 33 inches at Dunedin and 25 inches at Christchurch; but on the western coast, at Hokitaka, it is 118 inches. Thus the snowfall on the mountains is heavy, and the line of permanent snow is full three thousand feet lower than on the Alps. Hence the glaciers descend far below the level of those in Switzerland, coming down on the western side at one place to within 670 feet of the sea-level, while on the eastern they terminate at about 2000 feet; on this side, however, the limit of perpetual snow is about 750 feet lower than on the western. On the whole the area covered permanently by ice and snow in the Southern Alps is about 160 square miles, or 20 more than that in the Bernese Oberland. The Great Tasman Glacier is eighteen miles long, thus exceeding the Great Aletsch by three miles; further it is two miles wide at the end, while the other does not exceed a mile in any part.

The Southern Alps present another very singular feature. To the south of Mount Cook the chain is severed by a singular flat-topped pass-named after Dr. von Haast-the ill-marked summit of which is only about 1600 feet above the sea; yet to the south of it again the mountains rise rapidly, and attain elevations of full ten thousand feet. Thus a depression of a couple of thousand feet would convert the Southern Island of New Zealand into two mountainous islands, divided by a narrow channel, just as the Raftsund parts Hindö and Vaagö in the Lofotens.

The Alps of New Zealand are more ancient than those of Europe, as they were probably uplifted in Jurassic times. The oldest rocks-granites (or possibly in part granitoid gneisses) appear on the western side; these are overlain by crystalline schists, to which succeed slates, grits, &c., of Silurian and later ages. Probably when this district is fully surveyed the New Zealand Alps will be found to consist of a series of Archæan rocks overlain by sedimentary deposits of considerably later date. The highest rock on Mount Cook appears to be a quartzite, and Mr. Green mentions the occurrence, lower down the mountain, of some volcanic tuffs.

For Mr. Green's adventures during the ascent of Mount Cook we must refer readers to his volume. Suffice it to say that this proved to be no easy task. The difficulties were twofold: those of conveying the necessary

supplies of food and covering to a sufficiently elevated bivouac, and those presented by the mountain itself. The former of course will be overcome as the country is opened up, but it is evident that Mount Cook is equal in difficulty to most of the first class Alpine peaks. Mr. Green first attacked it by the southern ridge, but, after reaching a height of 7500 feet, found that route impracticable. An attempt was then made to reach the north-eastern face of the mountain by a route which also had to be abandoned. Mr. Green then mounted by a ridge on the left bank of the Hochstetter Glacier, and, after bivouacking at a height of about 7000 feet, succeeded in attaining the summit by a circuitous and difficult climb near the ridge connecting Mount Cook with Mount Tasman. His usual ill-fortune pursued him. The weather was bad, as it seems often to be in these partsand the approach of night compelled him to return without actually setting his foot on the very highest point. The ascent however was practically accomplished, only a slight detour to avoid a crevasse and a little more plodding along a snow ridge remained; but even the quarter of an hour or twenty minutes which this would have added to the expedition could not be spared. The summit of Mount Cook is not the place on which to spend a night in bad weather, nor is it a peak which can be descended in the dark. As it was, notwithstanding their utmost exertions, the travellers were compelled to halt for the night at an elevation of some 10,000 feet above the sea, on a ledge so dangerous that they dared not sleep -even one at a time!

Mr. Green afterwards visited the neighbourhood of Mount Earnslaw, a high peak south of Haast Pass, but his usual ill-fortune pursued him, and the weather prevented him from doing more than make a reconnaissance.

We lay down this volume with regret that the Fates were not kinder to Mr. Green in giving him the opportunity of writing a longer tale of adventure. He tells his story so well and pleasantly that we regret he could not carry further his explorations of New Zealand peaks and glaciers. He is evidently a close observer and devoted student of nature, so that without any attempt at book-making he has contrived to incorporate with his narrative many interesting facts relating to the natural history and physiography of these remarkable islands, which raises his work far above the level of an ordinary book of travel. T. G. BONNEY

known.

The fact, however, on which Prof. Huxley insisted many years ago, in his lectures at the College of Surgeons, that in this order we find some of the most generalised members of the Eutherian or placental Mammals, little-modified representatives of what appear to be ancestral forms, whose study is an excellent introduction to a knowledge of the more modified or specialised members of the class, has done much to elevate them in the eyes of naturalists who are seeking the key to unlock the history of the evolution of the Mammalia. Mr Dobson, whose excellent work in the Chiroptera is familiar to all zoologists, has done well then to take up the Insectivora, and to give us, for the first time, a thoroughly reliable and exhaustive monograph upon them.

Aided by wisely-bestowed grants from the Government Fund administered by a committee of the Royal Society, and with the assistance of numerous scientific friends, he has been enabled to collect abundant materials, and publish the results of his investigations in a copiously illustrated form. To facilitate comparison and avoid repetition, Mr. Dobson commences with a detailed account of the anatomy, paying especial attention to the myology, of two species, Gymnura rafflesi and Erinaceus europæus, which have been selected, the former as the nearest representative of an undifferentiated Eutherian, and the latter as being a well-known species, easily obtainable for examination. With these the anatomy of the species subsequently described is compared and contrasted. With regard to the general classification of the group, a knowledge of which can of course only be obtained from a thorough examination of their structure, Mr. Dobson has wisely reserved his views until the work is completed, adopting provisionally that which has been gradually elaborated by Peters, Mivart, and Gill.

The two first parts of the work already issued contain the families Erinaceida, Centetida, Solenodontidæ, Potamogalida, Chrysochloride, and Talpida, each family, genus, and species being treated of fully, both anatomically and zoologically. The difficult group Soricide, as well as the Macroscelida, Tupaiide, and the aberrant Galeopithecida, will form the subject of the third and concluding part. If this part should be, as we have every reason to believe it will, equal to its predecessors in thoroughness of detail and beauty of illustration, we shall have a work which will do great credit to its author, and rank among those solid contributions to knowledge which form landmarks in the progress of science.

W. H. FLOWER

OUR BOOK SHELF

Manual of Mathematical Tables. By the Rev. J. A. Galbraith and the Rev. S. Haughton, F.R.S. (London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin.)

"Now what so pleasing can there be, if a man be mathematically given, as to calculate logarithms, or those tables of artificial sines and tangents, or peruse Napier's not long since set out by mine old collegiate, good friend, and late fellow-student of Christchurch in Oxford, Mr. Edmund Gunter, which will perform that by addition and subtraction only which heretofore Regiomontanus's tables did by multiplication and division?" We shall not take up the cudgels against quaint old Burton, but will simply say that, for those to whom the subject is a “pleasing one, here is an exceedingly handy and neatly got up

Jan. 24, 1884]

manual, whose raison d'être is justified by its having reached a fourth edition. If our readers are philosophers," they will not require an account of what logarithms are (see Mr. Glaisher's excellent description in the 'Encyclopædia Britannica,” vol. xiv.); if they are not, with Mr. Squeers we say, "Then I am sorry for you, for I sha'n't be able to explain them." The tables, are in the main, five-figure tables, except that the logarithms of 1001 to 1100 are given to seven places, and in the case of the logarithms of numbers extend to the logarithm of 10000. The other tables are logarithms of sines and tangents to every minute of the quadrant, and Gauss's sum and difference logarithms. Besides, there are a capital introduction, tables of useful constants with their logarithms, and solutions, by trigonometrical tables, of quadratic and cubic (+ pr± 9=0) equations. There are no tables of natural sines and tangents. We have no hesitation in commending these tables to a still wider public than they have already R. T. reached. Principles of Theoretical Chemistry. By Ira Remsen. (Philadelphia: H. C. Lea's Son and Co., 1883.) UNFORTUNATELY for some years past we have been treated with an immense number of "books" on chemistry in England of a most mechanical type: books in which no reasoning theory is apparent. A dry epitome of facts in a most unpalatable shape, embellished here and there with formulæ of various kinds, graphic, symbolic, empiric, or glyptic, but in very rare attempt at showing the learner, easily, how these ideas of chemical constitution, represented by formulæ, are clearly arrived at. If a student is unable to see, in his mind, how the formula H2SO4 represents a knowledge of the constitution of sulphuric acid, he had much better only know its percentage composition, as it may otherwise lead him wrongly.

cases any

drawings and descriptive text by Mr. J. E. Ady, who is already favourably known for his microscopic preparations of British rocks. The first number of the "Studies" is devoted to "Eozoon, Led Beg, Sutherland." It contains two lithographic plates illustrative of the so-called eozoonal structure of a limestone in the north of ScotThe author land, and four pages of descriptive text. gives a brief reference to the literature of the subject, and an account of the microscopic structure of some portions of the limestone in question, which he regards as akin to that of the Canadian Eozoon, but as being of inorganic origin. We are afraid his sketch is too slight to have much weight in the controversy regarding Eozoon. His effort to extend the opportunities of petrographical investigation, however, and to popularise this fascinating but difficult branch of geology is praiseworthy, and we hope that his "Studies" may meet with such success as may induce him to continue them.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. [The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great that it is impossible otherwise to insure the appearance even of communications containing interesting and novel facts.] The Remarkable Sunsets

THE numbers of NATURE for October, which are the latest to Some solar phebe seen here at this date, contain in the correspondence accounts of the green appearance of the sun in India. nomena observable at present and during the whole of the past month are probably related to these, and yet are sufficiently distinct to deserve a separate description. They have, indeed, attracted the attention of everybody here by their novelty and spectacular magnificence, and to some have an ominous signifi cance in connection with recent seismic disturbances.

In November and December we have in this part of Japan a remarkably clear atmosphere, and this year has proved no exception. The great snow-capped mountain, Fujii, some ninety miles away to the west, is beautifully defined to view both at sunrise and sunset on most days, although during the greater part of the year-the warmer part that is-it is rare to catch a glimpse of it.

The phenomena of which I wish to record a description occur every day before and after sunset and sunrise, and serve to materially lengthen our day. In this latitude, although not in the tropics, the shortness of the twilight is very noticeable as compared with that of England, but at present at least an hour and a half elapses between the moment of sunset and that of the disappearance of the last of its rays, and this, with the same time between dawn and sunrise, causes our day to be very appreciably lengthened.

On some days there is round the sun, even while it is still high, a considerable area of silvery glare, 40° to 50° in diameter, and bordered by a lurid reddish-brown or purplish-brown halo. A similar lurid turbidity lies in the horizon, and as the sun descends the halo blends with this below, while above the sun it attenuates and disappears, the silvery glare remaining undiminished. When the sun sets there is still a nearly circular area On other of this intense glare with a diameter of about 12°. days there is before sunset only a thin silvery light round the sun diffusing away from it, and only about and after the setting is the more defined area of strong light strikingly visible, and on these days the horizon also shows little of the dull redness mentioned above. Besides the above peculiarities, the sun preserves its whiteness much more than usual, so as to be only golden orange when setting.

Now follow the more remarkable phenomena. The white glare, or patch of silvery light, gradually sets, spreading out along the horizon as it does so, and passing through the sunset colours until little more than a red line one or two degrees deep remains. This happens at about twenty minutes after sunset. At this moment, on the gray curtain of twilight appears a white luminosity, which rapidly intensifies over the sunset, and shades away over almost half the visible hemisphere. The brightne>

over the sunset becomes vividly brilliant, and at the same time delicately coloured. Over a somewhat depressed circular area, about 12° high and 15° broad, it assumes a pale green tint. Above this comes an equally dazzling pale yellow-orange, and again above this a soft rose colour melts away to the zenith. The revival of the light, or return from commencing twilight, is peculiarly striking. Buildings become brilliantly illuminated, and strong shadows are cast. All this outglow occurs in no more than five minutes, and now continues for about a quarter of an hour, but the brilliancy gradually contracts in area and sets with a magnificent display of sunset colours reaching some 120° round the horizon, until, by fifty minutes after sunset, this light has also gone down to a red line of about 2° elevation. I should not have omitted to say that the green light passes to yellow.

By this time night has fairly well come in the eastern half of the heavens, but already another but more delicate silvery whitening begins to show itself on the western curtain, and this also diffuses very rapidly up to the zenith and round to north and south. It also then goes through a process of contracting, intensifying to considerable brightness, and gradually passing through the sunset colours. Night is now full-with or without moonlight, according to date-and from the west, or rather from a point well to the north of it, spreads a delicate but brilliant light, having an almost perfect resemblance to the burning of a vast distant city. The last crimson light of this reflection does not disappear till an hour and a half after sunset.

The phenomena I have attempted to describe cannot possibly, I think, be explained otherwise than as being the effects of reflection, and that from a canopy many miles above the earth's surface. The matter of this canopy is highly transparent, for not only are moon and stars brilliantly clear, but in the crescent moon the dark surface of its sphere was on some nights in both months visible and so distinct as to have been noticed independently by several persons. (It has been suggested that this greater visibility of the dark surface of the moon may be due to a stronger reflection from the present atmosphere of the earth.) The reflecting matter must, I suppose be water, but in what form and under what conditions it is there so high up day after day in varying weather, it is difficult to me to conceive. We have had wet days intervening, cloudy days, and very windy days, but on all occasions, except during rain, the phenomena have been visible with strange uniformity.

Not counting the setting of the silvery glare twenty minutes after sunset, which ought perhaps to be done, there are, it will be seen, two reflected sunsets following the true one. In the morning before sunrise the same phenomena in inverse order are perhaps still more remarkable to see. Indeed the whole phenomena, night and morning, have a most unnatural and magical appearance, very different from those of the ordinary sunset and sunrise.

One other phenomenon, also of reflection, has yet to be mentioned. Rarely with much distinctness, but always to be noticed, there appears high up in the east, just after the silvery glare following the sun has set, and lasting only a few minutes, a dim image of the white glare and the western horizon just after sunset. It is of a delicate rosy light, with a grayish central part.

I am informed that somewhat similar appearances are being seen in Shanghai. EDWARD DIVERS Imperial Japanese College of Engineering, Tokio, December 12, 1883

IF the red sunsets are to be attributed to smoke and dust in the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions, as seems likely from the contributions in the last number of NATURE at hand (December 20), then it becomes important to take into account other eruptions which may have happened simultaneously with or since that of Krakatoa on August 27, 1883. In any discussion of atmospheric currents as fixing the dates of the appearance of these sunset phenomena at different places this is of special importance, in order that no confusion may arise in trying to reconcile places and dates that may refer to dust and ashes brought from entirely distinct eruptions. For this reason I send you the following extracts.

The first is from the U.S. Signal Service Monthly Weather Review for October, 1883, and is as follows:

"Unalaska, Alaska, October 22, 1883 "Executive Officer, Signal Service, U.S.A., Washington, D. C. "SIR,-I forward by this mail a sample bottle of sand that fell during the storm of October 20, 1883.

"At 2.30 p.m. the air became suddenly darkened like night, and soon after a shower of mixed sand and water fell for about ten minutes, covering the ground with a thin layer. The windows were so covered that it was impossible to see through them.

"This sand is supposed to have come either from the Menkushin or the new volcano adjacent to Bogoslov. The former is at a distance of about nineteen miles south-west, but for years has only issued forth smoke or steam. The latter is a new one, which made its appearance this summer, and burst out from the bottom of Behring Sea. It has been exceedingly active, as it has already formed an island from 800 to 1200 feet high.

"According to the report of Capt. Anderson, the discoverer, who sails one of the company's vessels, and who went within 2000 yards of it, it presents a most magnificent sight. The fire, smoke, and lava are coming out at many crevices, even under the water line. Large boulders are shot high in the air, which, striking the water, send forth steam and a hissing sound.

"Bogoslov is about sixty miles from here, in a westerly direction. The new volcano is about one-eighth of a mile north-west "I am, Sir, very respectfully, "S. APPLEGATE, 'Sergt. Sig. Corps, U.S.A."

of it.

66

The other extract is from a recent paper as follows:

"San Francisco, Cal., December 28, 1883 "Prof. Davidson received from Alaska to-day the particulars of the volcanic disturbar ces there in October last, near the entrance to Cook's Inlet. On the morning of October 6 a settle ment of fishermen on English Bay heard a heavy report, and, looking in the direction from whence the sound came, immense volumes of smoke and flame were seen to burst forth from the summit of Mount Augustine. The sky became obscured, and a few hours later great quantities of pumice dust began to fall, some of it being fine and smooth, and some gritty. At half-past three o'clock on the same day an earthquake wave thirty feet high came rushing in over the hamlet, sweeping away all the boats and deluging the houses. The tide at the time being low saved the settlement from utter destruction. This wave was followed by two other waves eighteen feet high, which were succeeded at irregular intervals by others. The pumice ashes fell to a depth of five inches, making the day so dark that lamps had to be lit. At night the surrounding country was illuminated by flames from the crater. Ordinarily Mount Augu-tine is covered with snow, but this year it is completely bare. Upon examination after the disturbances had subsided, it was found that the mountain had been split in two from base to summit, and that the northern slope had fallen to the level of the surrounding cliffs. Simultaneously with the eruption, a new island made its appearance in the passage between Chernaboura Island and the mainland. It was seventy-five feet high, and a mile and a half long. So violent was the volcanic action that two extinct volcanoes of the

Peninsula of Alaska, lying to the westward of the active volcano Iliamua, 12,000 feet high, burst into activity, and emitted immense quantities of smoke and dust. Flames were visible at night. It is stated that the wives of a party of Aleut Indians, afraid of the subterranean noises, and refused to stay, returning who were engaged in otter-hunting in that locality, became to their homes. None of those who remained can be found." The approximate positions of some of the points mentioned in these reports are as follows:

Here we have the record of (1) a new volcano which appeared near Bogoslov some time during the summer, and had been continuously active and thrown up an i-land 1000 feet high up to some time in October; (2) an explosive eruption of Mount Augustine on October 6, which split off the whole side of the volcano and distributed ashes to a depth of five inches many miles away, and started a wave in the ocean about thirty feet high; and (3) of a shower of sand and water on October 20 at Unalaska, which probably arose from some fresh or renewed eruption of a neighbouring volcano.

Many of these phenomena resemble those reported from Krakatoa, though on a smaller scale. It is not necessary to point out that a continuous eruption of a new volcano for weeks