Volcanic Island of Jan Mayen. 31 7 



The appearance of the whole country announced the action 

 of subterranean fires. 



At some distance, near some large fissures which were visible 

 here and there in the rock, they saw immense accumulations of 

 lavas which seemed to have been ejected from these fissures. 



At the end of August 1818, says Captain Scoresby, we were 

 surprised to see near Mount Esk considerable jets of smoke 

 proceeding from the earth at intervals of from three to four mi- 

 nutes. This smoke was driven upwards with great velocity, 

 and reached a height of 4000 feet. 



This eruption, and the traces of ancient eruptions remarked 

 by Captain Scoresby, might probably, like those which some- 

 times happen at a short distance from the sea, near Naples or 

 Catania, be only lateral eruptions of a principal volcano, which 

 would be, according to all appearance, the Beerenberg itself. 



This might be ascertained by an attentive examination of the 

 structure of the whole island, and particularly of its northern 

 part. It is probable that the snows and glaciers, which are not 

 less remarkable in the island of Jan Mayen than in Spitzber- 

 gen, do not allow of this mountain being ascended, but perhaps 

 the naturalists of the expedition will be able to explore those 

 grouped around its base, and to penetrate into the crevices 

 which they present. It will, at all events, be possible to sketch, 

 under various points of view, this remarkable peak, whose struc- 

 ture perhaps bears some resemblance to that of the Peak of Te- 

 neriffe. It would also be very interesting to make collections 

 of the volcanic productions of the island, and of the other rocks 

 which may occur in it. 



The interest which would be attached to these researches 

 would be so much the greater, as the island of Jan Mayen is 

 situated in the prolongation of the volcanic zone which crosses 

 Iceland, and which has already been an object of investigation 

 to several of the naturalists of the present expedition. 



The examination of the island of Jan Mayen would com- 

 plete, in a brilliant manner, the investigation of the northern 

 Atlantic Ocean, pursued with so much perseverance by MM. 

 Gaimard and Robert. 



VOL. XXV. NO. L. OCTOBEE 1838. * Y 



