Lipan Islands--Stromboli--Origin of Name--Position of Crater--
Description of Crater--New Volcanic Island named Julia--Phenomena
preceding its Elevation--Description of Island and Crater--Its
Disappearance--Rise of Islands at Santorin


The Lipari Islands are all of volcanic origin. The most interesting
among them, for the length of time it has been in action and the
constancy of its activity, is Stromboli. This name is a corruption
of the ancient Greek name Strongulae which was given to it
because of its round swelling form. This is a very fussy little
volcano, for it keeps perpetually puffing, growling, and fuming. It
throws out columns of steam, and at intervals stones, cinders, and
ashes, which are for the most part drifted by the wind into the
sea. This restless volcano has been in almost uninterrupted
activity since at least the third century before the Christian era
--however much further back.

Several enterprising travellers have ascended to the crater of
Stromboli. It was examined with great care in 1828 by M. Hoffmann,
a celebrated Prussian geologist, who, while being held fast by his
companions, leant over the crag immediately above the crater, and
looked right down into one of its active mouths. He thus describes
what he saw:--

"Three active mouths were seen at the bottom of the crater. The
principal one, in the middle, was about two hundred feet in
diameter; it shows nothing remarkable, only fuming slightly; and
numerous yellow incrustations of sulphur coat the walls of its