EJUfed Landing. — Idand Scenery. 327 



This we all succeeded in accomplishing over the rough rocks, 

 without any mischance, and at last we stood on the firm soil of 

 the Island of Amsterdam, at a spot which assuredly had never 

 before been trodden by human feet, unless by some castaway. 

 For only in consequence of the sea being perfectly calm, which 

 at this season was quite unusual, were we able to reach the 

 shore at this point. 



What a scene of wildest desolation, and inaccessible solitude 

 now met our gaze! Around us nothing but huge blocks of 

 basalt, some rolled about by the breakers, and so slippery with 

 half-dry algce^ that one was in danger of falling at every stride ; 

 others with their angles and indentations as sharp, as when first 

 violently torn from their original bed j and behind these gigantic 

 blocks, a perpendicular wall of rock rising 200 feet sheer, 

 composed of a schistus of basaltic lava lying regularly and hori- 

 zontally one over the other, intermixed with red or brown slag, 

 and yellow tufa. Immense holes and cavities in the rocky wall, 

 as also the empty spaces between the broken blocks that had 

 fallen down, and the vast air-holes scooped out in the lava 

 beds, furnished an undisturbed nestling-place for flocks of a 

 beautiful sea-swallow, with glossy black head, silver-grey body, 

 and bill and feet of carmine red — the most elegant and attractive 

 contrast of colours that can well be im.agined upon any bird. 

 These pretty creatures afforded great amusement to the sports- 

 men of our little party, while the geologist acquired a better 

 idea and more information as to the mineralogy and gcognosis 

 of the island beneath the steep wall of rock, than he could 



