4S8 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



yards over, and by which I should 

 suppose it was continually tilled 

 agiiin at high water. This stream, 

 close to the eds^e of the sea, was so 

 hot, as oi'.ly to admit the finger to 

 be dipped suddenly in, and taken 

 out again innnediately. 



It appeared evident, by the 

 formation ol' this part of the island, 

 that the sea had, during the erup- 

 tions, broke into the crater in two 

 places, as the east side of the small 

 Btream was bounded by a precipice, 

 a clirt" between twenty and thirty 

 ieet high forming a peninsula of 

 iabout the same dimHUsions in 

 width, and from fifty to sixty feet 

 lonj;, connected with the other part 

 of the island bj- a narrow ridge of 

 cinders and lava, as an isthmus of 

 from forty to fifty feet in length, 

 from which the crater rose in the 

 form of an amphitheatre. 



This cliff, at two or three miles 

 distance from the island, had the 

 appearaiup of a work of art re- 

 tsembling a small fort or block 

 house. 'J'he top of this we were 

 determined, if possible, to attain ; 

 but the difficulty we had to en- 

 counter in doing so was consider- 

 able ; the only way to attempt it 

 was up the side of the isthmus, 

 which was so steep, that the only 

 mode by which we could efltect it, 

 was by fixing the end of an oar at 

 the base, with the assistance of 

 which we forced ourselves up in 

 nearly a backward direction. 



Having reached the summit of 

 the isthmus, we found another 

 difficulty, for it was impossible to 

 walk upon it, as the descent on 

 the other side was immediate, and 

 as steep as the one we had asr 

 trended ; but by throwing our legs 

 pcross it, as would be done on the 

 fidge of a house, and raovipg our* 



selves forward Vjy our hands, we 

 at length reached that part of it 

 where it gradually widened itself, 

 and formed the summit of the cliff, 

 which we found to have a perfectly 

 flat surface, of tlie dimensions be- 

 fore stated. 



Judging this to be the most con^ 

 spicuous situation, we iiere planted 

 the union, and left a bottle sealed 

 up containing a small account of 

 the origin of the island, and of our 

 having landed upon it, and naming 

 it Sabrina Island. 



Within the crater I found the 

 complete skeleton of a guard-fish, 

 the bones of which, being per^ 

 fectly burnt, fell to pieces upon 

 attempting to take them up ; and 

 by the account of the inhabitants 

 on the coast of St. Michael's great 

 numbers of fish had been destroyed 

 during the early part of the erupt- 

 lion, as large quantities, probably 

 sufibcated or poisoned, were occa- 

 sionally found drifted into the 

 small inlets or bays. 



'J'he island, like other volcanic 

 productions, is composed princi- 

 pally of porous substances, and ge- 

 nerally burnt to complete cinders, 

 with occasional masses of a slone, 

 which I should suppose to be a 

 mixture of ironand lime-stone; but 

 have sent you specimens to enable 

 you to form a better judgment 

 than you possibly can by any 

 description of mine, ^ 



On some Exqtics which endure 



THE open Air in Devonshire. 

 /« a Letter to the Rif^ht Hon. Sir 

 Joseph Banks, Burt. K.B. Sfc. 

 By A. Hawkins, Esq, 



Sir ; 

 Though I have no knowledge 



of 



