9. Numerous pieces of lava, of a dark red colour, and enveloped in smoke, were ejected from the top of the precipice, and thrown high into the air. A part of them fell on the declivity, and rolled down, the smaller preceded by the greater; and, after a few bounds, dashed into the sea, giving out a sharp hissing sound.

10. The more minute fragments, from their lightness and the hindrance of the sand, rolled slowly down, and striking against each other, produced nearly the same sound as hailstones falling on a roof. In a few minutes another explosion followed, without any sensible noise; and two minutes after, a third eruption took place, with a much louder explosion than the first, and a far more copious ejection of lava.

11. The eruptions, which were almost innumerable during the time that Spallanzani remained there, all exhibited the same appearances. On the night following the one above described, the volcano raged with still greater violence, and rapidly hurled to a great height, thousands of red hot stones, forming diverging rays in the air.

12. Those which rolled down the precipice, produced a hail of streaming fire, which illuminated the steep descent. Independently of these ignited stones, there was in the air which hovered over the volcano, a vivid light which was not extinguished when that was at rest. It was not properly flame, but real light reverberated by the atmosphere, impregnated with extraneous particles, and more especially by the ascending smoke.

13. Besides varying in intensity, it appeared constantly in motion, ascending, descending, dilating, and contracting, but always remaining perpendicular over the mouth of the volcano, which showed that it was occasioned by the conflagration within the crater. The detonations in the greater eruptions resembled the roaring of distant thunder; but in the more moderate ones, the explosions of a mine.

14. In the smallest they were scarcely audible. Each was some seconds later than the ejection. Near the mouth of the volcano is a small cavern, and a projection above, which secures it from the entrance of the ignited stones. From this cavern Spallanzani was enabled to look down into the very bowels of the volcano.

15. He describes the edges of the crater as of a circular form, and not more than 340 feet in circumference, the internal sides contracting as they descend, and assuming

the shape of a truncated inverted cone. The crater itself, to a certain height, is filled with a liquid red hot matter, resembling melted brass. This is the fluid lava, which appears to be agitated by two distinct motions, the one intestine, whirling, and tumultuous, and the other, that by which it is impelled upward.

16. This liquid matter is raised, sometimes with more, and sometimes with less rapidity, within the crater; and when it has reached within twenty or thirty feet of the upper edge, a sound is heard not unlike a short clap of thunder, while at the same moment a portion of the lava, separated into a thousand pieces, is thrown up with indescribable swiftness, accompanied by a copious eruption of smoke, ashes, and sand.

17. A few moments before the report, the superficies of the lava is inflated and covered with large bubbles, some of which are several feet in diameter; on the bursting of these, the detonation and fiery shower takes place. After the explosion, the lava within the crater sinks, but soon rises again as before, and new bubbles appear, which again burst and produce new explosions.

18. When the lava sinks, it gives little or no sound; but when it rises, and particularly when it begins to be inflated with bubbles, it is accompanied with a noise similar, in proportion to the difference of magnitude, to that of liquor boiling vehemently in a caldron.

Note. Sicily is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, separated from Naples by a narrow strait. Mount Etna, a celebrated volcano, is in this island. The Mediterranean Sea, between Europe, Asia, and Africa, extends from the straits of Gibraltar, in Europe, to the coasts of Syria, and Palestine, in Asia. It communicates with the Atlantic Ocean by the straits of Gibraltar; and with the Black Sea by the sea of Marmora, and the straits of Constantinople.

THE HOTTENTOTS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1. THE persons of the Hottentots are not devoid of symmetry, but their face is, in general, extremely ugly. Their cheek bones are prominent, their chin narrow and

pointed, their nose extremely flat, the lips thinner than those of the negroes, and the teeth beautifully white. The eyes are of a deep chesnut colour, long and narrow. Their complexion is a yellowish brown, resembling that of a faded leaf.

2. Their hair grows in a singular manner, rising in small tufts, at certain distances from each other, and when kept short, appears like a hard shoe brush, with this difference, that it is curled and twisted into round lumps. When suffered to grow, it hangs in twisted tassels like fringe. They are generally tall, but their hands, feet, and joints, are small in proportion to the size of their bodies.

3. The dress of the Hottentots in summer is so trifling as hardly to deserve the name. It consists of a belt formed of the thong cut from the skin of some animal. From this is suspended some slight covering or small aprons. In the winter they wear cloaks made of skins, generally of sheep, which are worn as the weather requires, either with the wool inwards or cutwards. These serve as blankets and bedding through the night, as well as for a garment through the day.

4. They are in the habit of besmearing their bodies with fat, which, together with dust and dirt, forms so thick a coating, as entirely to conceal the natural colour of the skin. The women wear a profusion of ornaments, consisting of glass beads, buttons, and shells, upon their necks, arms, and legs.

5. The Hottentots are remarkable for their extreme indolence, which nothing but terror can overcome. They are a mild, quiet, and timid people, honest and faithful; and though very phlegmatic, are kind and affectionate to each other, and not incapable of strong attachments. Their countenances generally wear the appearance of melancholy, rarely being relaxed into a smile.

6. Their understanding is very limited. Their reckoning of time scarcely extends beyond a day; and all their astronomy consists in having a name for the sun, another for the moon, and a third for the stars. They are ignorant of arts and manufactures, except the formation of coarse earthen ware, the making of winter garments of skins, the preparation of poison, and the making of bows and ar

rows.

7. Their language is one of the most singular forms of