98 Notice of Graham Island. 



in rounding the outline and altering the true configuralon of 

 the island, as materially to affect their utility in a scientific 

 point of view. 



According to published documents, the Neapolitan schooner 

 Psyche discovered, on the 12th of July, smoke on the water 

 between Sicily and Pantellaria, where the island is now situa- 

 ted; and, on the 17th of July, the master of the brig Adelaide, 

 from London, distinguished fire ; and it is probable that at 

 this period the land rose to the surface. On the 18th of the 

 same month. Commander C. H. Swinburne observed, from on 

 board His Majesty's ship Rapid, a long irregular column of 

 smoke or steam, accompanied by eruptions of fire, bearing 

 south by east ; the town of Marsala bearing by compass east 

 half north 9 miles. On nearing, a small hillock of a dark color 

 was observed a few feet above the sea. The volcano was at 

 this period in a constant state of activity, discharging dust 

 and stones with vast columns of steam. Tlie island appeared 

 to be 70 or 80 yards in its external diameter, and the lip as 

 thin as it could be, consistent with its height, which might be 

 20 feet above the sea in the highest, and 6 feet in the lowest 

 part, leaving the rest for the diameter of the area within. 



From information accompanying Mr. Russell's sketch, it 

 appears that the circumference of the island on the 23d was 

 f of a mile. The highest point was 80 feet above the level of 

 the sea, and the jets of water rose to a height of from 800 to 

 1000 feet, and bore up immense quantities of cinders and stones, 

 which sometimes attained nearly double that height. 



On the 3d of August, Captain Senhouse of the St. Vincent 

 eflfecled a landing in the Hind cutter, and hoisted the British 

 flag, calling it Graham Island. The form of the crater was 

 found to be nearly a perfect circle, and complete along its 

 whole circumference except for about 250 yards on its south- 

 eastern side, which were broken and low, not apparently more 

 than 3 feet high. The height of the highest part was found, 

 upon a rough computation, to be 180 feet ; the whole circuit 

 of the island was from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a 

 third. It bore the general appearance of two longitudinal 

 hills, connected by intermediate low land sending up smoke 

 and vapor in abundance. The circular basin, the centre of 

 the island, was full of boiling salt water, of a dingy red color; 

 and the vapor was very oppressive, causing nausea and faint- 

 ness. 



Captain Senhouse informs us that the fragments of rock 

 brought away by the Hind cutter are compact and heavy, 

 and that the whole surface of the island is dense and perfectly 



