[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

TANNA 2 7 5

bending over the bright blue water, and far off the
islands of Erromanga, Futuna and Aniwa.

A visit to the volcano at night was a unique ex-
perience. Across the desert the darkness glided, and
as we climbed upward, we felt and heard the metallic
explosions through the flanks of the mountain, and
the cloud over the crater shone in dull red. Cautiously
we approached the edge, just near enough to look
down. The bottom of the crater seemed lifted, the
walls were almost invisible, and the uncertain glare
played lightly over some theatrical—looking rocks.
We could see three orifices ; steam poured out of one,
in the other the liquid lava boiled and bubbled, of the
third there was nothing to be seen but a glow; but
underneath this some force was at work. Did we
hear or feel it? We were not sure; sometimes it
sounded like shrill cries of despair, sometimes all was
still, and the rocks seemed to shake. Then suddenly
it boiled up, hissing as if a thousand steam-pipes had
burst, something unspeakable seemed preparing, yet
nothing happened. Some lava lumps were thrown
out, to fall back or stick to the rocks, Where they
slowly died out. All at once a sheaf of fire shot up,
tall and glowing, an explosion of incredible fury
followed; the sheaf dispersed and fell down in mar—
vellous fireworks and thousands of sparks. Slowly,
in a fiery stream the lava flowed back to the bottom.
Then another explosion and another, the thumping
increased, one of the other openings worked, spitting
viciously in all directions, the noise became unbearable.
All one’s senses were affected, for the din was too