164 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



clay ; in which crystals of aiigite, along with dark 

 roundish granular pieces of hasalt lay imbedded *. 



A piece of iron, which appeared to have been de- 

 rived from ironstone, by a smelting process con- 

 ducted in the furnace of nature, was found near the 

 volcanic mount ; being very cumbrous, it was laid 

 aside by our party as we ascended, and unfortu- 

 nately left behind us when we quitted the shore. 

 Of every other metallic, mineral, vegetable, or ani- 

 mal substance we met with, we took specimens. 



As the icebergs observed on this island suggested 

 the idea of frozen cascades, a poetic imagination 

 would, in the hollow metallic sound of the earth on 

 the volcanic mount, have conceived the cavern of 

 V'^ulcan ; and in the iron manufactured in the bowels 

 of the earthj the fabrication of the same deity, for 

 the use of his parent Jove. 



The cliffs here afforded but few specimens of 

 plants. Indeed we travelled a considerable distance 

 before we could perceive the least sign of vegetation. 

 As we advanced, however, we met with tufts of 

 plants in full blossom, scattered widely about among 

 the volcanic minerals ; but under the last cHfF we 

 visited, the variety was greater, and the specimens 

 more vigorous. Among the plants seen, we recog- 

 nized the Rumex digynus, Saxifraga tricuspidata 

 and oppositifolia, Arenaria peploides? Silene acaulis, 

 Draba verna, &c. 



A black sandy earth, or a yellowish-grey kind of 

 clay, constituted the general soil where any occur- 

 red. 



