hy Alexander von Humboldt. xxi 



(Lat. 0° 20 S., Long. 22° W.), which has quite lately become 

 famous ao;ain by the U. S. Expedition of the Brig Dolphin 

 (1854), commanded by Lieutenant Lee. On 19th May, 

 1806, columns of black smoke were seen issuing from the 

 sea by Krusenstern, and volcanic ashes were gathered, after 

 a singular bubbling of the sea from 1748 to 1836, according 

 to careful investigations by Daussy. 



As the frigate is commissioned to visit Ceylon and the 

 Nicobar Islands, she cannot sail direct from the Cape to 

 Australia ; and the hope must therefore be abandoned of her 

 visiting the small basaltic islands, known as Prince Edward's 

 (47'' 2'S. 38° E.),and Possession (46° 28' S., 47° 30' E.), belonging 

 to the Crozet's Group, or the two islands, long confounded 

 with each other, of Amsterdam (Lat. 37° 48^ S.) and St. 

 Paul (Lat. 38° 38' S.) The latter island, the more southerly 

 of the two, (a very characteristic drawing of which was 

 given by Willem de Vlaming so far back as 1696), is sup- 

 posed to be volcanic, not only by its form, which will at once 

 remind the geologist of Santorin, Barren Island, and Decep- 

 tion Island, (one of the New Shetland group), but also in 

 consequence of the eruption of steam, and the flames occasion- 

 ally observed there. 



As for Amsterdam, which consists of a single densely- 

 wooded mountain, the puzzle remains for solution as to how, 

 during the expedition of D^Entrecasteaux in 179^, the 

 whole island seemed, during two entire days, enveloped in 

 smoke ; whereas, on landing there, the naturalists of that expe- 



