SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS. 169 



forces another, that of flowing water, is particularly active, 

 whether as heavy rain during the short summer, or in 

 tremendous masses of melted water descending from the 

 island itself and cleaving the slopes in all directions with 

 ravines forming temporary watercourses. 



In its main outlines Webster's account corresponds 

 to the descriptions of Lieutenant Johnson. But although 

 the latter landed as late as the end of March, while Foster 

 had arrived in January, he seems to have seen considerably 

 less snow. This was also the experience of Dumont 

 d'Urville ; he certainly did not land, but he remarked 

 that not only the slopes but even the summits were free 

 from snow. Smiley finally reports that the whole south 

 side of the island was in full volcanic activity in February, 

 1842, "on fire," and that as many as thirteen active 

 centres were seen. This is the last account of Deception 

 Island, and later accounts are entirely wanting. 



Boyd Straits, about thirty miles across, separate the 

 last two and westernmost members of the South Shetlands 

 from the middle group. It is a curious coincidence that 

 the northern one, Smith Island, should be the loftiest of 

 the entire group, while Low Island, the southern one, is 

 apparently the lowest. It is equally remarkable that the 

 latter lies exactly on the line of direction of the central 

 main group, while Smith Island, obviously also of entirely 

 different geological structure, seems to be projected north. 

 Low Island, latitude 63° 15' S. longitude 62° 15' W., 

 which appears to share the peculiarities of the rest of the 

 island chain in being a slate formation surrounded by 

 numerous rocks, is not described in any of the sources 

 available for information. The name leads to the in- 

 ference that the island is flat like its neighbour, Snow 

 Island, on the other side of Boyd Straits, which it also 

 resembles in point of size. Smith Island, named after 

 its discoverer, is as already stated very different. Lying 

 in latitude 62° 55' S. and longitude 62° 35' W., it rises on 



