he lists. I shall only observe that, being so near the sea,
many would hesitate to allow such discoveries to be of any weight in
proving a violent alteration to have taken place in the surface of the
terraqueous globe; whilst, on the other hand, it is unaccountable how, in
the common course of natural events, such extraneous matter should come
to be lodged in strata at the height perhaps of fifty feet above the
level of the water, and as many below the surface of the land.

COLOURED EARTHS.

Here are likewise found various species of earths which might be applied
to valuable purposes, as painters' colours, and otherwise. The most
common are the yellow and red, probably ochres, and the white, which
answers the description of the milenum of the ancients.

VOLCANOES.

There are a number of volcano mountains in this, as in almost all the
other islands of the eastern Archipelago. They are called in the Malay
language gunong-api, or more correctly, gunong ber-api. Lava has been
seen to flow from a considerable one near Priamang; but I have never
heard of its causing any other damage than the burning of woods. This
however may be owing to the thinness of population, which does not render
it necessary for the inhabitants to settle in a situation that exposes
them to danger of this kind. The only volcano I had an opportunity of
observing opened in the side of a mountain, about twenty miles inland of
Bencoolen, one-fourth way from its top, as nearly as I can judge. It
scarcely ever failed to emit smoke; but the column was only visible for
two or three hours in the morning, seldom rising and preserving its form,
above the upper edge of the hill, which is not of a conical shape but
extending with a gradual slope.

EARTHQUAKES.

The high trees with which the country thereabout is covered, prevent the
crater from being discernible at a distance; and this proves that the
spot is not considerably raised or otherwise affected by the earthquakes
which are very frequently felt there. Sometimes it has emitted smoke upon
these occasions, and in other instances not. Yet during a smart
earthquake which happened a few years before my arrival it was remarked
to send forth flame, which it is rarely known to do.* The apprehension of
the European inhabitants however is rather more excited when it continues
any length of time without a tendency to an eruption, as they conceive it
to be the vent by which the inflammable matter escapes that wou