Antarctic Continent. 
47 
As the boats pulled round the east end of the island, 
various basaltic cliffs of considerable beauty were ob¬ 
served, and in one part a deep and beautifully formed 
cave, extending some distance under ground, into which 
the waves rolled with considerable noise. It seemed to be 
the site of an ancient volcano. Its interior showed 
regular and handsome prismatic pillars, radiating from 
a base of about 70 or 80 feet in length, and termi¬ 
nating in a point near the top of the cliff. These 
pillars throughout were laid with masonic precision ; and 
it would be difficult to imagine a spot, in the midst of a 
scene so desolate, possessing so much natural beauty in 
so small a space as this cave presented. 
After rounding the east end of the island, still keeping 
under the shelter of the land, we passed through a very 
narrow channel, which separates it from a dark precipi¬ 
tous rock. Here the view became very interesting, for 
on each side the high towering rocks hung perpendicu¬ 
larly over our heads in various states of decomposition ; 
some huge masses, widely separated from the parent 
rock, seemed on the verge of falling, while smaller por¬ 
tions were showered down on both sides, to the no small 
danger of the boats and their inmates. 
The whole of these islands are in a rapid state of de¬ 
composition, suffering severely from their exposed posi¬ 
tion and the intensity of the climate. It is probable that 
the main land does not suffer an equal degree of destruc¬ 
tion, owing to the great quantity of fixed ice which in all 
parts lines the shore, protecting it from the ravages of 
the ocean as well as the destructive powers of the atmo¬ 
sphere. 
On the west end of the island an immense mass of ice 
adhered to the coast, stretching out to seaward a distance 
nearly equal to its length. It seemed to be formed by 
le snow from the land. Similar lodgments of ice 
