JAN MAYEN ISLAND. I6l 



minated by irregular cliffs. This strand appeared 

 to have been occasionally covered with the sea, as 

 it was strewed with drift-wood, part of which was 

 tolerably good timber, and the rest bruised, and a 

 little worm-eaten. One log, that I observed, had 

 been squared, and was marked with the letter G. 



I had not advanced many paces, before I observ- 

 ed signs of a volcano. Fragments of lava were seen 

 at every step ; blocks of burned clay were next met 

 with ; and, nearer tlie cliff, large masses of red clay, 

 partly baked, but still in a friable state, occurred in 

 great abundance. Numerous pointed rocks, proba^- 

 bly of tlie trap formation, were sticking through 

 the sand. One of these, which was vesicular ba- 

 salt, had numerous beautiful crystals and grains of 

 augite imbedded in it. Along with this, was a rock 

 which appeared to be very nearly allied to the ce- 

 lebrated basaltic millstone of Andernacli. After 

 leaving the sea-shore, I perceived no other mineral, 

 but such as bore undoubted marks of recent vol- 

 canic action, viz. cinders, earthy-slag, burned clay, 

 scoria?, vesicular lava, &c. The place from whence 

 these substances appeared to have been discharged, 

 being near, we attempted to reach it. In perform- 

 ing the ascent, the steepness of the hill, and the 

 looseness of the materials, made the undertaking 

 not a little arduous. We frequently slid backward 

 several paces by the nodules of lava giving way be- 

 neath our feet : in which case, the ground generally 



VOL. I. T. 



