10 TRANSACTIONS OF THE locte 23, 
Mr. West says : 
«x * * The inhabitants presented us with a petrified bone said to 
be one of the vertebrae of the whale, which they told us they found in 
the cliff; it is very heavy, owing, I apprehend, to a metallick impregna- 
tion. They also brought us two shell-fish which were petrified ; these 
were taken out of the cliff. * * * The doctor and I dug out some 
pieces of charcoal at the bottom of the cliff. * * * Some of the 
vitriolick springs are very strongly impregnated with the taste of cop- 
peras. * * * Jn addition to what the doctor has observed, that there 
must formerly have been a volcano on the Gay Head, I would inform 
your excellency, that an elderly man, who was in company with us, told 
me that his mother had informed him that she could remember when 
it was common to see a light upon Gay-Head in the night time. Others 
informed me that their ancestors have told them that whalemen used to 
guide themselves in the night by the lights that were seen upon Gay 
Head.”’ 
Mr. Baylies says: 
‘“*T have at length executed the design, which I had formed, in conse- 
quence of an invitation from the Reverend Mr. West, of visiting Gay 
Head. In company with him, Col. Pope, and two others, I sailed from 
Bedford, in an open two-mast boat. * * * A northerly wind carried 
us down the river into the midst of the bay, in an easy, agreeable manner, 
A calm then coming on with a hot sun, and a constant rolling of the 
boat, I grew exceedingly sick. Nothing could alleviate my disagree- 
able feelings, but a view of Gay Head, through Quick’s Hole, at the 
distance of about fifteen miles. A variety of colours, such as red, yellow 
and white, differently shaded and combined, exhibited a scene, sufficient 
to captivate the mind, however, distressed. * * * We beckoned to 
two young Indians whom we saw on the hills above us. They imme- 
diately came ; and, by the promise of a little rum, our boat was hauled 
up on the beach, * * * In one way we found the soil to be good. 
* * * It manifests to the taste a strong impregnation of vitriolick 
acid ; and contains many bright shining particles. * * * Afterour 
arrival at the cliffs, we looked round for a place of descent. This, ina 
little time, we found. But, I must confess, I proceeded on with great 
caution and some fear; knowing that one false step would bring me to 
the bottom much sooner than I could wish. On one side we had a red, 
unctuous, argillaceous earth ; on the other a blue, white and yellow one, 
variegated with grey, black and green spots and masses of charcoal 
under our feet. When we had descended, on looking back, the idea of 
a volcano struck us at once. In fact it had all the appearance of having 
blown out-but afew days. That it was formerly a voleano, was con- 
firmed bya further examination. Large stones, whose surfaces were 
vitrified ; great numbers of small ones, cemented together by melted 
sand, and also cinders were to be seen in many places. <A black, sooty 
powder, similar to lamp black, and made use of by painters to serve the 
same purposes, under which a whitish matter resembling the gypseous 
earth calcined, intermixed with the same kind of earth uncalcined, were 
to be found in great quantities. Besides there are very plain marks of 
four or five different craters. * * * Add to this a tradition prevalent 
among the natives: in former times, the Indian God, Moiship, resided 
in this part of the island; and made the crater described above his 
principal feat. To keep up his fires he pulled up the largest trees by 
