Boat' Excursion io Amsterdam. 323 



1792, issuing from the soil adjoining the sea, were produced by 

 an actual eruption, or were caused by subterranean fires in 

 activity.* 



About 11 A.M., the two jolly-boats of the Novara were 

 lowered to look for a landing-place on Amsterdam, while the 

 frigate stood off and on, under easy sail, at an offing of five or 

 six miles. Our whaling informant had told us the most 

 abundant fishing-station was at the south point of the island, 

 while the best place for disembarking was on the N.W. shore. 

 As, however, upon consideration, it was deemed advisable, 

 looking to the probability of a N.E. gale springing up, to get 

 to windward of the ship, so as to be able to fetch her more 

 speedily on our return, the S.E. side was selected, and our 

 course laid for it accordingly. Along the acclivities of the 

 coast pyramids of loose stones were visible, resembling those on 

 St. Paul, but more numerous and of larger dimensions, the 

 entire island seeming altogether on a much larger scale, and 

 more lofty. On the West side we observed rocky precipices of 

 from 1000 to 2000 feet in height, fissured with deep clefts and 

 rents, whereas on the South and S.E., these presented a more 

 gradual slope. 



For above an hour we steered along the shore, which rose 

 sheer out of the water, without being able to detect a single 

 point at which it was at all practicable to disembark, so as to 

 scramble up to the high ground. The entire Eastern side is 



* Vide Alexander v. Humboldt's " Kosmos," Vol. IV., pp. 412 and 585 ; also 

 Physical and Geognostic Remarks, by tbe same author, prefixed to this voliune. 



y2 



