144 SOUTHERN CRUISE. 



but by an unaccountable mistake, the skull, &c, were thrown over- 

 board. Its dimensions were also omitted to be taken. 



Knowing that Captain Foster, in the Chanticleer, had left here a 

 self-registering thermometer, in 1829, I directed Lieutenant Johnson 

 to look for it, and note its standing. Immediately on securing the 

 tender he proceeded to search for it, but notwithstanding the particular 

 directions, he did not find it. Since my return home, I have received 

 a letter from William H. Smiley, master of a sealing vessel that 

 touched there in February, 1842, stating that he had found the ther- 

 mometer, and carefully noted its minimum temperature, which was 

 5° below zero. 



Lieutenant Johnson, in company with Assistant-Surgeon Whittle, 

 visited an old crater, at the head of the bay, where a gentle ascent of 

 about four hundred feet, brought them to the edge of an abrupt bank, 

 some twenty feet high, surrounding the crater on the bay side. The 

 crater was about fifteen hundred feet in diameter, from east to west, 

 bounded on the west or farther side by lofty hills, with many ravines, 

 which had apparently been much washed by heavy rains. This led to 

 the belief that the water found within the crater would be fresh, but its 

 taste, and the incrustation of salt found on its borders, showed that it 

 was not so. Near the east end of the crater, the water boils in many 

 places, sometimes bubbling out of the side of a bank, at others near the 

 water's edge, with a hissing noise. The surface water was found to 

 be on a level with the waters of the bay, and to be milk-warm. A few 

 inches below, it was perceptibly colder. No thermometric observa- 

 tions were obtained. The ground near the Boiling Springs was quite 

 hot. In the vicinity were lying quantities of cellular and scoriaceous 

 lava. The only sign of vegetation was a lichen, growing in small 

 tufts, around the mouth of several small craters, of three or four feet 

 in diameter. From these a heated vapour is constantly issuing, 

 accompanied by much noise. Before they returned to the tender, they 

 were overtaken by a violent snow-storm from the northeast, and with 

 difficulty reached the cove without the boat, having been compelled to 

 leave it at the opposite side of the bay, for the force of the wind was 

 such as to render all their efforts to pull against it useless. This 

 weather continued with much snow for three days, when it ceased 

 snowing, but still blew heavy. It was the intention of Lieutenant 

 Johnson to carry over the yawl, for the purpose of sounding in the 

 crater, to ascertain its depth, and get its temperature, which it is to be 

 regretted was not done. On the 17th of March they sailed from 

 Deception Island, having left a bottle enclosing reports, tied to a flag- 

 staff. This was afterwards found by Captain Smiley, who mentions in 



