i6o DISCOVERY REPORTS 



mountain, with sloping sides, in the middle of the island had the appearance of two 

 Latin ' SS' placed side by side". 



On the lower slopes of the cone several dark patches were conspicuous (Plate XIII, 

 fig. I, and Fig. 5 c) and two of these, seen by telescope, were found to be funnel-shaped 

 cavities. They are no doubt subsidiary craters, but did not show any sign of activity. 

 The plateau, owing to the warmth of the ground, is free from snow, except for some 

 patches close to its seaward margin: it is black, with its surface apparently composed of 

 volcanic ash or scoria. The plateau ends abruptly in low cliffs 30 to 40 ft. in height, with 

 outlying rocks: all are of black basaltic lava, sculptured and eroded by wave action, and 

 with deep vertical fissures and gullies up which the surf runs with every swell. Many 

 penguins were to be seen on this plateau and a brownish band near the edge probably 

 marks the position of their rookery. 



Where the plateau ends at the south side of the island (Fig. 5 b) is another penguin 

 rookery on which some patches of green vegetation were to be seen. 



To the west the ground rises sharply and extends to the northern end of the island as 

 sheer cHff or very steeply sloping hillside, all entirely free from snow (Plate XIII, fig. 2). 

 The main crater is immediately above West Bluff (Plate XIII, fig. 3 ; Fig. 5^, h) and so 

 far as could be seen through the dense clouds of steam and vapour that it emitted, its 

 western edge is broken away, so that it opens obliquely below the highest point of the 

 island. A little to the south of West Bluft' fumaroles are to be seen on the steep hill-side, 

 and the ground here is mostly reddish in colour with some patches and streaks of sulphur. 

 At one point horizontal strata were exposed, consisting apparently of alternate layers of 

 tuff and ash, the former thicker than the latter. Green staining was seen at one place. 



On the northern slopes there is a rookery with many thousands of penguins, and here 

 the most extensive patches of green vegetation seen in the islands were observed. The 

 plant is almost certainly the same alga that we collected on Thule Island, but it is so 

 luxuriant that, as Cook said of Saunders Island, it greatly resembles green turf. 



The volcanic activities of this island have been noted by all who have visited it, and 

 the strong sulphurous fumes which swept across us as we lay at anchor 6 cables from 

 the shore were also remarked upon by Bellingshausen, Larsen, Filchner and Wild. Apart 

 from the main crater and the fumaroles on the steep western slopes, a great part of the 

 lava plateau on the east and south-east sides appears to be active, with vapour and fumes 

 issuing from cracks and crannies in the ground. Wild mentions caves on the southern 

 side, " from the mouths of which sulphurous fumes were issuing in a thin reddish cloud ". 

 Larsen says that on landing he found 



it was almost intolerable on account of the very hot sulphur and other poisonous fumes, which were 

 blown out now and then with such force, that small stones were thrown a long way out of innumerable 

 small holes and cracks in the ground. The fumes were so hot that one could not hold the hand over 

 the holes without burning it. The air was quite poisoned, so that I turned dizzy, and I am of opinion 

 that nobody could stay there very long without being poisoned. Pure sulphur was flowing out of 

 some cracks and the whole shore was composed of layers of it mixed with soft material from the 

 interior of the island. 



There are three records of landings on the island : by Bellingshausen, Brown and Larsen. 



