ASCENSION ISLAND. 1752. Si 



hted that another nation afterwards helped 

 him away. 



I never faw a more difagreeable place in 

 all the world than this ifland. The climate in 

 itfelf is hot, being fo near the line ; but it 

 would be tolerable if there were only fome 

 trees under whole (hade one could take flieltef. 

 The iiland has formerly had woods, as ap- 

 pears from feveral perfect petrefaclions of 

 branches of trees, and pieces of wood; but 

 in particular from a large petrified flump. The 

 ifland is every where covered with Hones; 

 they are not pebbles, but angulated pumicc- 

 ftones, containing more or lefs iron. When 

 you meet with a plain, it is covered between 

 the {tones with a coarfe earth which looks like 

 foot, and under it you meet With a reddifh 

 fine fand. Here and there, efpecially on the 

 fhore, are fome rocks. On the low places, 

 where the water gathers during the rainy fea- 

 fon, the earth was covered with a brown cruft, 

 which would break like thin ice under one's 

 feet. Here and there fome pieces of glimmer 

 were found. A mineralogifl: might have col- 

 lected many forts of ftones here, which ate 

 not to be met with in other places. The heat 

 is intolerable, and difables one from carrying 



Vol. II. G any 



