rful manifestations of the
volcanic forces to a great extent make up in number what they want in
individual energy; and the relief which they afford to the imprisoned
activities within the earth's crust may be almost equal to that which
results from the occasional outbursts at the great habitual volcanic
vents.

In taking a general survey of the volcanic phenomena of the globe,
no facts come out more strikingly than that of the very unequal
distribution, both of the great volcanoes, and of the minor exhibitions
of subterranean energy.

Thus, on the whole of the continent of Europe, there is but one habitual
volcanic vent--that of Vesuvius--and this is situated upon the shores of
the Mediterranean. In the islands of that sea, however there are no
less than six volcanoes: namely, Stromboli, and Vulcano, in the Lipari
Islands; Etna, in Sicily; Graham's Isle, a submarine volcano, off the
Sicilian coast; and Santorin and Nisyros, in the Aegean Sea.

The African continent is at present known to contain about ten active
volcanoes--four on the west coast, and six on the east coast, while
about ten other active volcanoes occur on islands close to the African
coasts. On the continent of Asia, more than twenty active volcanoes
are known or believed to exist, but no less than twelve of these are
situated in the peninsula of Kamchatka. No volcanoes are known to exist
in the Australian continent.

The American continent contains a greater number of volcanoes than
the continents of the Old World. There are twenty in North America,
twenty-five in Central America, and thirty-seven in South America. Thus,
taken altogether, there are about one hundred and seventeen volcanoes
situated on the great continental lands of the globe, while nearly twice
as many occur upon the islands scattered over the various oceans.

ASIATIC INLAND VOLCANOES

Upon examining further into the distribution of the continental
volcanoes, another very interesting fact presents itself. The volcanoes
are in almost every instance situated either close to the coasts of the
continent, or at no great distance from them. There are, indeed, only
two exceptions to this rule. In the great and almost wholly unexplored
table-land lying between Siberia and Tibet four volcanoes are said to
exist, and in the Chinese province of Manchuria several others. More
reliable information is, however, needed concerning these volcanoes.

It is a remarkable circumstance that all t