GRAHAM'S AND ALEXANDER LANDS. 189 



regarded as coast islands, is probably in no way connected 

 with the Kaiser Wilhelm's Islands ; it begins, according 

 to Biscoe, with Pitt Island in latitude 66° 20' S. and longi- 

 tude 66° 38' W., and extends south-west parallel to the 

 coast, but at a considerable distance from it, averaging 

 about forty-five miles, as far as latitude 66° 20' S., but it 

 must not be forgotten that the position of the main coast 

 is still very undetermined. Adelaide Island, also situated 

 far to the south, stands in no visible connection with the 

 chain of Biscoe Islands proper, and it seems also to be at 

 a much less distance from the coast, viz., about eighteen 

 miles, according to the indication of the charts. 



Our knowledge of the vertical structure of Graham's 

 Land is as scanty as that of its outlines and of its geology ; 

 we only know that it possesses near its north-east coast 

 two small active volcanoes. These two volcanic islands 

 are in fact the best known parts of the country, one — 

 Christensen Island — having been visited by Larsen, and 

 the other was seen at no very great distance. The former 

 Larsen describes as mostly free from snow, completely so 

 round the summit, whence a stream of lava was poured 

 out towards the eastern flank of the island. On the un- 

 melted field-ice surrounding the island were found masses 

 of eruptive rocks ejected by a recent eruption, which an 

 examination by Dr. Petersen showed to have consisted 

 of real olivenite felspar basalt. Larsen gives no infor- 

 mation about the conjectured elevation of the island, nor 

 about the nature of its volcanic activity, but on the other 

 hand he does tell us that on the slopes of the Linden- 

 berg Cone smoke was seen to rise in heavy masses from 

 numerous parasitic craters ; indeed, the intense volcanic 

 activity of this island was made manifest by the fact that 

 the ice was melted for a considerable distance round it. 

 One might almost be inclined to ascribe a volcanic char- 

 acter to Robertson Island as well as to the five Seal 

 Islands lying in a straight line, as they appear strikingly 



