TIIE NEW ISLAND.

THIS volcanic production lies about twenty-five miles from Sicily, be- tween Gil-gelid and Pantallaria. The following report of its progress is given by Commander Swinburne, of the Rapid, in a letter to Vice- Admiral Hotham, dated July 22nd.

" At 7. 30. [July Refit] the rushitt.;- noise of the eruptions was heard. At 9, being distant from it about t wo miles, and the water being much discoloured with dark objects at tine surfitee in various places, I hove to, and went in a boat to sound round and examine it. I rowed towards it, keeping on the weather-side and sounding, but got no bottom till within 20 yards of the western side, where I had 18 fitthoms soft bottom. This was the only sounding I obtained, except from the brig, one mile true.

north from the centre of the island, where the depth was 130 fathoms soft dark brown mud. The crater seemed to be composed of fine cinders and mad of a dark brown colour ; within it was to be seen, in the inter-

vals between the eruptions, a mixture of muddy water, steam, and cin- ders, dashing up and down, and occasionally- running into the sea over the edge of the crater, which I found, on rowing round, to be broken down to the level of the sea on the W.S.W. side, for the space of 10 or 12 yards. Here I obtained a better view of the interior; which ap-

peared to be tilled with muddy water violently agitated, from whence showers of hot stones or cinder were constantly shooting up a few yards, and falling into it again ; lint the great quantities of steam that con. stantly rose from it prevented my seeing the whole crater.

" A considerable stream of muddy water flowed outward through the opening, and, mingling with that of the sea, caused the discolouration that had been observed before. I could not approach near enough to ob- serve its temperature; but that of the sea, within 10 or 12 yards of it, was only 1 degree higher than ordinary ; and to the leeward of the

island, in the direction of the current (which ran to the eastward), no difference could be perceived, even where the water was most discoloured. The dark objects on the surface of the sea proved to be patches of small

floating cinders. The island, or crater, appeared to be 70 or 80 yards in its external diameter, and the lip as thin as it could be consistent with its height, which might be 20 feet above the sea in tine highest, and G feet in the lowest part, leaving the rest for the diameter of the area within. These details could only be observed in the intervals between the great eruptions, some of which I witnessed from the boat. No words

can describe their sublime grandeur. Their progress was generally as

follows :—After the volcano had emitted for some time its usual quanti- ties of white steam, suddenly the whole aperture was filled with an enor- mous mass of hot cinders and dust, rushing upwards to the height of some hundred feet with a loud roaring noise, then falling into the sea on all sides with a still louder noise, arising in part perhaps from the formation of prodigious quantities of steam which instantly touk place.

This steam was at first of a brown colour, having embodied a great deal of the dust; and as it rose it gradually recovered its pure white colour,

depositing the dust in the shape of a shower of muddy rain. While this was being accomplished, renewed eruptions of hot cinders and dust were quickly succeeding each other ; while forked lightning, accompanied by

rattling thunder, darted about in all directions, within the column, now

darkened with dust, and greatly increased in volume, and distorted by sudden gusts and whirlwinds. The latter were most frequent on the lee-

side, where they often made imperfect water-spouts of curious shapes. On one occasion, some of the steam reached the boat ; it smelt a little of sulphur, and the mud it left became a gritty sparkling dark-brown pow- der when dry. None of the stones or cinders thrown out appeared more than half a foot in diameter, and most of them much smaller."

The position of the island, according to another report, from Commie der Smith, of the Philomel, is described to be in lat. 37° 11' N.; long 12° 44' E. It appears to be formed almost entirely of cinders, accumulated on a very narrow base ; the soundings within 80 yards being from 70 to 75 fathoms.

A letter from Malta, dated 5th August, mentions that Captain Sen. house, who had visited the new island, had contrived toland, and to erect a flag-staff with the Union jack on it, by way of taking possession,--, lest, as the writer shrewdly suspects, the Americans or some other power should think of putting in a claim to so valuable a territory. The island, when Captain Senhouse visited it, was about a mile and a half in circumference, and from 200 to 250 feet high.