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The gallery of nature and art; or, a tour through creation and science. Comprising new and entertaining descriptions of the most surprising volcanoes, caverns, cataracts, whirlpools, waterfalls, earthquakes, and other wonderful and stupendous phenomena of nature. Forming a rich and comprehensive view of all that is interesting and curious in every part of the habitable world. By the Rev. E. Polehampton, and John M. Good, F.R.S. Illustrated by one hundred engravings / [Edward Thomas William Polehampton].

Polehampton, Edward (Edward Thomas William), 1777?-1830.

Date:: 1821

Credit: The gallery of nature and art; or, a tour through creation and science. Comprising new and entertaining descriptions of the most surprising volcanoes, caverns, cataracts, whirlpools, waterfalls, earthquakes, and other wonderful and stupendous phenomena of nature. Forming a rich and comprehensive view of all that is interesting and curious in every part of the habitable world. By the Rev. E. Polehampton, and John M. Good, F.R.S. Illustrated by one hundred engravings / [Edward Thomas William Polehampton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Clavigero makes more than half a mile wide; but though active formerly, if has not emitted flames of late. In the last century, however, it still continued to emit flames and ashes, the last of which overspread the country to a considerable extent. Iztaccihuatl appears to have been exhausted for a longer period than the pre- ceding. Both these mountains, like Orizava, have their summits covered with perpetual snow, in such quantities as to supply the me- tropolis and the adjacent country for forty miles round, as an article of luxury to the wealthy. All the others we have enumerated have been quiescent, perhaps immemorially, except Jorullo, which is the most singular of the whole ; and whose history, therefore, we shall give more at large from the very interesting account of it, lately published by M. Humboldt. « The grand catastrophe,” says he, “in which this volcanic moun- tain issued from the earth, and by which the face of a considerable extent of ground was totally altered, was perhaps one of the most extensive physical changes, that the history of our globe exhibits. Geology points out spots in the ocean, where, within the last two years, volcanic islets have arisen above the surface of the sea, as near the Azores, in.the Archipelago, and on the south of Iceland : but it records no instance of a mountain of scoriz and ashes, 517 met. [563 yards] above the old level of the neighbouring plains, sud- denly formed in the centre of a thousand small burning cones, thirty- six leagues from the shore, and forty-two leagues from any other volcano. This phenomenon remained unknown to the mineralogists and natural philosophers of Europe, though it took place but fifty years ago, and within six days journey of the capital of Mexico. “« Descending from the central flat towards the coasts of the Pacific ocean, a vast plain extends from the hills of Aguasarco to the vil- lages of Toipa, and Patatlan, equally celebrated for their fine cotton plantations. Between the picachos del Mortero and the cerras de Jas Cuevas and de Cuiche, this plaia is only from 750 to 800 met. [820 to 880 yards] above the level of the sea. Basaltic hills rise in the midst of a country, in which porphyry with base of green-stone predominates. Their summits are crowned with oaks always in ver- dure, and the foliage of laurels and olives intermingled with dwarf fan palms. This beautiful vegetation forms a singular contrast with — the arid plain, which has been laid waste by volcanic fire.

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