Wonders of Creation: A Descriptive Account of Volcanoes and Their Phenomena

In Short

Written in 1872 for young readers, Wonders of Creation is an introductory guide to global volcanism. Beginning with basic geological phenomena such as ash clouds, lava flows, and subterranean explosions, the narrative quickly expands into an international tour of active and extinct volcanic sites. It transports readers from the ice-wrapped peaks of Iceland and the classical ruins of Vesuvius to the giant craters of Hawaii and the boiling mud springs of Java. Blending factual reporting, historical accounts, and classic literature, the book captures the terrifying agency of subterranean forces while illustrating how they continuously reshape human history and the physical landscape.

The Story

The book opens with a clear, direct examination of how volcanoes operate and what they produce. It describes the physical architecture of a volcanic mountain—focusing on crater cones, subterranean pressure, and the vast scale of molten rock. The text explains how lava behaves under different conditions, moving swiftly down steep inclines like hot treacle before crusting over into natural bridges or crashing into the sea to form entirely new promontories.

From these fundamental mechanics, the narrative moves into specific geographical regions. It first explores the northern latitudes, detailing Iceland’s violent history. Here, the book documents how eruptions at Mount Hecla and Skaptár Yökul melted glaciers, scooped out deep ravines, and flooded rivers, while the Great Geyser periodically hurls columns of boiling water hundreds of feet into the air.

Turning to classical antiquity, the text re-examines the iconic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. It contrasts the quiet, everyday life of Italian towns with the catastrophic blast described by Pliny the Younger. The narrative walks through the buried streets of Herculaneum and Pompeii, inspecting preserved artifacts, frozen bread loaves, and the plaster casts of citizens caught in the ash. It then travels to Mount Etna, depicting its secondary cones and expansive lava valleys, before referencing Homeric myth to explain the volcanic origins of the basaltic Cyclopean Isles and Staffa's Fingal’s Cave.

Continuing its worldwide voyage, the book inspects ephemeral features like Graham’s Island—a volcanic landmass that emerged briefly in the Mediterranean before eroding back beneath the waves—and the soaring, snow-capped peaks of the South American Andes. It recounts historical ascents of Cotopaxi and Popocatepetl, emphasizing both the physical peril faced by early explorers and the local legends surrounding these active heights. Moving across the Pacific, the focus shifts to the colossal, fiery lake within Hawaii's Kilauea crater and Charles Darwin's theories on how oceanic volcanoes interact with coral reefs to construct low-lying atolls.

Finally, the book investigates non-traditional and extinct volcanic phenomena. It details the thunderous mud volcanoes of Java, the petroleum-fueled gas fires of Baku, and mystery sounds like the underground rumblings at Nakous. The journey concludes among ancient, quiet landscapes—the extinct basalt formations of Auvergne, lethal carbon dioxide caverns such as the Poison-Valley of Java, and the sunken basin of the Dead Sea—leaving readers with a sweeping portrait of a dynamic, constantly changing Earth.

How It Unfolds

The forces below The text introduces the basic mechanics of volcanic eruptions, detailing crater structures, atmospheric explosions, and the physical properties of viscous lava streams that destroy everything in their path.

Northern ice and fire Focusing on Iceland, the narrative details catastrophic historical eruptions, the sudden melting of massive glaciers, and the spectacular, periodic blasts of the Great Geyser.

The tragedy of Pompeii The book reconstructs the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79, combining Pliny's eyewitness observations with modern archaeological discoveries from the buried ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Basalt and ancient myth Exploring Mount Etna and nearby archipelagos, the text connects basaltic rock columns and sea caverns like Fingal's Cave to the ancient legends of Ulysses and Polyphemus.

Transient islands and Andean heights The narrative documents short-lived landmasses like Graham's Island alongside the towering, snow-covered volcanic peaks of South America, noting historical ascents by explorers like Humboldt.

Pacific craters and mud springs Shifting to the Pacific and Asia, the book describes the immense molten lake of Kilauea, Darwin’s coral reef theories, and the violent mud eruptions and gas vents across Java and the Caspian shore.

Silent ruins of the past The overview ends with extinct volcanic regions, fatal gas-filled valleys, and the deep geological basin of the Dead Sea, showing how ancient earth movements permanently altered geography.

The People

Because Wonders of Creation is a work of non-fiction, its central figures are the naturalists, historical chroniclers, and intrepid travelers who observed and documented volcanic activity across the centuries.

• Pliny the Elder is depicted as an inquisitive Roman naval commander and naturalist. Eager to closely inspect the strange pine-tree-shaped cloud rising over Vesuvius in A.D. 79, he sails directly toward the danger, ultimately losing his life to hot cinders and suffocating gases.
• Pliny the Younger, the nephew of Pliny the Elder, acts as the primary historical witness to the Vesuvius catastrophe. His detailed written correspondence preserves a vivid, lasting record of the eruption’s exact visual progress and impact.
• Baron von Humboldt represents the daring scientific explorer. Driven to examine active craters firsthand, he ascends the Andean summit of Pichincha, nearly tumbling into its fiery abyss when dense mountain mists unexpectedly obscure the precipitous ledge.
• Diego Ordaz, a bold Spanish captain under Cortés, seeks to prove European resolve to local populations. He leads a small party up the steep, icy slopes of Popocatepetl, defying local warnings that the smoking mountain cannot be climbed and lived through.
• Charles Darwin appears as an insightful geological theorist whose field observations explain the lifecycle of Pacific atolls, demonstrating how volcanic islands gradually subside while surrounding coral reefs build upward.

In Its Own Voice

"The trees take fire before its approach, and when it reaches them they emit a hissing noise almost amounting to a shriek, and then plunging into the molten flood are seen no more."

(Describing the relentless, destructive march of a fresh lava stream through a forest.)

"The excavators came upon the skeleton of a miser, who had been attempting to escape from his house, and whose bony fingers were still clutching the purse which contained the treasure he loved."

(Observing the frozen human tragedies uncovered during the archaeological excavation of Pompeii.)

"This great abyss consists really of two craters, separated the one from the other by a narrow ridge of rock, to which it is possible to descend and view them both."

(Detailing the dangerous interior landscape of Java's Tangkuban-Prahu volcano.)

What It's Really About

Beneath its descriptive regional surveys, Wonders of Creation is fundamentally an investigation into the immense, uncontrollable energy locked within the Earth's crust. The text contrasts the fragility and brevity of human civilizations against the massive, slow-moving geological processes that reshape continents. By highlighting sudden cataclysms—such as buried Roman cities, vanished Mediterranean islands, and submerged landmasses—it frames human history as a brief overlay on a dynamic planet. At the same time, the book operates as a Victorian educational project, seeking to inspire scientific curiosity and religious awe in young minds by framing physical laws as evidence of a grand, orderly design.

Why Read It Today

This concise volume offers a charming window into 19th-century science communication, written with a clear, direct style free of modern jargon. Readers who enjoy natural history, classic travel writing, and historical geography will appreciate its energetic worldwide tour. The prose moves briskly from dramatic geological descriptions to literary citations of Homer and Virgil, making it feel like a guided museum tour led by a well-read Victorian instructor.

While the prose is overwhelmingly accessible, readers should anticipate period-typical elements:

• Victorian attitudes: The text reflects typical 19th-century Eurocentric framing when describing non-European cultures and indigenous populations.
• Dated terminology: Spellings of geographic locations follow older conventions (e.g., "Owhyhee" for Hawaii, "Mouna-Roa" for Mauna Loa).
• Historical science: Concepts are framed around the scientific understandings and travel constraints of the 1870s, preceding modern plate tectonics theory.

Despite these period traits, the author's precise descriptions of bubbling geysers, buried cities, and glowing lava rivers retain their vivid power, offering a timeless look at nature's most dramatic phenomena.