1&6 Miscellanies. 



stones, resembling those which are cast out by volcanoes. Capt. 

 Bradshaw, of Beverly, of the ship Lagodan, brought to our office 

 yesterday, a specimen of the same sort of stones, which he picked 

 uponthe27thof April, 1835, in lat. 13^ N. Ion. 108° W. Capt. B. 

 sailed about twenty miles through these stones, with which the top of 

 the water was thickly covered. It will be seen, by a comparison of 

 the latitudes and longitudes, that Capt. Bradshaw was six hundred 

 miles distant from the place where the stones were picked up by the 

 other ship. — Salem Gazette. 



10. Visit to Iceland. — Extracts from an account of a visit to Ice- 

 land, by M. Eugene Robert. — Bulletin de la Societe Geologique 

 de France. Tom. vii. Feuilles 1-2. 



The siliceous concretions formed by the Geysers of Iceland, cover 

 an extent of four leagues in length, throughout which traces of an- 

 cient geysers are numerous. We have hence been enabled to observe 

 this singular formation under all its different forms ; passing by in- 

 sensible shades from a loose friable state, the result of a rapid deposi- 

 tion, to the most compact and transparent. We have not only ob- 

 served impressions of the leaves of the birch tree, of equiseta and 

 different grasses, but the branches of the birch are in many places 

 very distinctly recognizable, presenting much the appearance of our 

 agatized woods. At the present time not one of the plants here oc- 

 curring, are found on the island, and it may be considered probable 

 that their destruction is owing to the invading silica. 



The numerous thermal springs, in the midst of which the Geysers 

 are situated, occupy large valleys in the interior of the island. 



Appearances indicate that these waters proceed from deep crevices, 

 in which they have been heated by contact with the volcanic fires. 

 It is worthy of note that the action of the Geysers is never more 

 magnificent than during an inundation of the valley by rain. The 

 rivers proceeding from these springs often resemble milk in appear- 

 ance, owing to the argillaceous bole which they take up in their pas- 

 sage among the siliceous concretions. Such are the white rivers of 

 Olafsai. 



Mt. Hecia, like all the mountains of Iceland, is entirely covered 

 with snow, and not the least smoke appears about its summit. The 

 obsidian found in a rolled state on its side, and the pumice stone, 

 form a bed of thirty feet. Fragments of branches of the birch tree 

 occur in the midst of this bed, the remains of the ancient forests of 

 the island which the volcanic eruptions have entirely destroyed. 



