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t 



^ V . IN THE FAROE ISLANDS. 221 



1500 feet ; and receives its name, which signifies Needle Island, 

 from a perforation in a rock at the south end, thought to re- 

 semble the eye of a needle. 

 ^ The surfaces of many lavas which I passed over in Iceland, 

 ^ were not unlike coils of rope, or crumpled cloth ; an appear- 

 ance which we should expect to be assumed by any viscid 

 matter in motion. On our first visit to the Island of Naalsoe, 

 we observed the surface of a bed of amygdaloid, which had 

 been exposed to a considerable extent by the removal of the 

 bed above, exhibiting an exact picture of the lavas I had seen 

 in Iceland. At first sight, this discovery forced instanta- 

 neous conviction on the minds of those who were with me, none 

 of whom had ever seen lava, that heat must have caused the 

 appearance before us. We brought away a number of speci- 

 mens, which are now before the Society, and which speak a 

 language not to be misunderstood. (See Plate I.) 



We afterwards discovered varied examples of this crump- 

 led surface in different parts of the country. In the vici- 

 nity of Eyde in Osteroe, there were many instances, in 

 which the matter appeared, as if, in a viscid state of fusion, 

 it had flowed and spread itself out. Of this a specimen is be- 

 fore the Society, sufficient to explain the fact, though it does 

 not afford so good a display as we could have wished : our at- 

 tempts to raise large masses entire having failed. (See 

 Plate II.) We found that one bed was exactly moulded 

 on another, and had every appearance of the lower one 

 having become hard before the next had flowed over it. 

 This 'was observed at various elevations. Near Waii in 

 Bordoe, we saw several examples; some at the height of 

 1000 feet above the sea. It is to what has been described, 

 no doubt, that Landt alludes in the passage quoted in page 

 second. 



It 



