454 A Narrative of the Eruption of a Volcano. 



was still smoking in many parts, and upon our reaching 

 the island found the surf on the beach very high. Rowing 

 round to the lee side, with some little difficulty, by the aid 

 of an oar, as a pole, I jumped on shore, and was followed 

 by the other officers. We found a narrow beach of black 

 ashes, from which the side of the island rose in general 

 too steep to admit of our ascending; and where we could 

 have clambered up, the mass of matter was much too hot 

 to allow our proceeding more than a few yards in the as- 

 cei)t. 



The declivity below the surface of the sea was equally 

 steep, having seven fathoms water scarce the boat's 

 length from the shore, and at the distance of twenty or 

 thirty yards we sounded twenty-five fathoms. 



From walking round it in about twelve minutes, T 

 should judge that it was something less than a mile in cir- 

 cumference ; but the most extraordinary part was the cra- 

 ter, the mouth of which, on the side facing St. Michael's, 

 was nearly level with the sea. It was filled with water, at 

 that time boiling, and was emptying itself into the sea by 

 a small stream about ^ix yards over, and by which I should 

 suppose it was continually filled again at high water. This 

 Stream, close to the edge of the sea, was so hot, as only to 

 admit the finger to be dipped suddenly in, and taken out 

 again immediately. 



It appeared evident, by the formation of this part of the 

 island, that the sea had, during the eruptions, broke into 

 the crater in two places, as the east side of the small stream 

 was bounded by a precipice, a cliff between twenty and 

 thirty feet high forming a peninsula of about the same di- 

 mensions in width, and frorh fifty to sixty feet long, con- 

 nected with the other part of the island by 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 appearance of a work of art resembling a small fort 

 or block house. The top of this we were determmed, if 

 possible, to attain ; but the difficulty we had to encounter 

 in doing so was considerable; 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 effect it, was by fixing 

 the end of an oa*- 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 



