d from the company of which I was the engineer in New
Jersey a vacation of several weeks, and embarked at New York for the
Bermudas.

While I was staying on Hamilton Island, in the vast port of
Southampton, an event occurred of great interest to geologists.

One day a whole flotilla of fishers, men, women and children, entered
Southampton Harbor. For fifty years these families had lived on the
east coast of Back Cup, where they had erected log-cabins and houses
of stone. Their position for carrying on their industry was an
exceptionally favorable one, for the waters teem with fish all the
year round, and in March and April whales abound.

Nothing had hitherto occurred to disturb their tranquil existence.
They were quite contented with their rough lot, which was rendered
less onerous by the facility of communication with Hamilton and St.
George. Their solid barks took cargoes of fish there, which they
exchanged for the necessities of life.

Why had they thus abandoned the islet with the intention, as it pretty
soon appeared, of never returning to it? The reason turned out to be
that they no longer considered themselves in safety there.

A couple of months previously they had been at first surprised, then
alarmed, by several distinct detonations that appeared to have taken
place in the interior of the mountain. At the same time smoke and
flames issued from the summit--or the bottom of the reversed cup, if
you like. Now no one had ever suspected that the islet was of volcanic
origin, or that there was a crater at the top, no one having been able
to climb its sides. Now, however, there could be no possible doubt
that the mountain was an ancient volcano that had suddenly become
active again and threatened the village with destruction.

During the ensuing two months internal rumblings and explosions
continued to be heard, which were accompanied by bursts of flame
from the top--especially at night. The island was shaken by the
explosions--the shocks could be distinctly felt. All these phenomena
were indicative of an imminent eruption, and there was no spot at the
base of the mountain that could afford any protection from the rivers
of lava that would inevitably pour down its smooth, steep slopes
and overwhelm the village in their boiling flood. Besides, the very
mountain might be destroyed in the eruption.

There was nothing for the population exposed to such a dire
catastrophe to do but leave. This they did. Their hum