SUBMARINE VOLCANO AND NEW ISLAND. 251 



officers. We found a narrow beach of black ashes, from 

 which the side of the island rose in general too steep lo ad- 

 mit of our ascending ; and where we could have clambered 

 up, the mass of matter was much too hot to allow our pro- 

 ceeding more lhan a few yards in the ascent. 



The declivity below the surface of the sea was equally 

 steep, having seven fathoms water, scarce the boat's length 

 from the shore, and at the distance of twenty or thirty yards 

 we sounded twenty-five fathoms. 



From walking round it, in about twelve minutes, I should Less than * 

 judge that it was something less than a mile in circumference; ' eroun ' 

 but tne most extraordinary part was the crater, the mouth of T | je crater full 

 which, on the side facing St. Michael's, was nearly level with ° er> 01 ing wa " 

 the sea. ft was filled with water, at that time boiling, and 

 was emptying itself into the sea, by a small stream about six 

 yards over, and by which I should suppose it was continually 

 filled again at high water. This stream, close to the edo-e 

 of the sea, was so hot, as only to admit the finger to be dip- 

 ped suddenly in, and taken out again immediately. 



It appeared evident, by the formation of this part of the A . peninsula 

 island, that the sea had, during the eruptions, broke into the m^n Land, 

 crater in two places, as the east side of the small stream was 

 bounded by a precipice, a cliff between twenty and thirty 

 feet high forming a peninsula of about the same dimensions 

 in width, and from fifty to sixty feet long, connected with 

 the other part of the island by a narrow ridge of cinders and 

 lava, as an isthmus of from forty to fifty feet in length, from 

 which the crater rose in the form of an amphitheatre. 



This cliff, at two or three miles distance from the island, Ascent of the 

 had the appearance of a work of art resembling a small fort lbtnmus ' 

 or block house. The top of this we were determined, if 

 possible, to attain ; but the difficulty we had to encounter in 

 doing so was considerable; the only way to attempt it was 

 up the side of the isthmus, which was so steep, that the only 

 mode by which we could effect it, was by fixing the end of 

 an oar at the base, with the assistance of which we forced 

 ourselves up in nearly a backward direction. 



Having reached the summit of the isthmus, we found an- 

 other difficulty, for it was impossible to walk upon it, as the 

 descent on the other side was immediate,, and as steep as the 



one 



