PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
225 
ed elsewhere ; and, from the verdant appearance of the interior 
of the island, I should suppose that, like all the others, it affords 
tortoises. On the small beach opposite the anchorage, we found 
one turtle, and in the bay an abundance of fish were caught by 
the boat’s crew. I attempted to ascend a small hill on the south 
point of the bay, and the only one that had the appearance of be¬ 
ing accessible, for the purpose of taking a better view of the bay, 
in order to discover if there were any sunken rocks or other dan- 
gers, but I soon was compelled to desist, as the loose lava, ashes, 
and other volcanic substances, which were constantly giving way 
under me, rendered my ascent very difficult, and my descent dan¬ 
gerous. From thence I proceeded to the north part of the island, 
which wholly consists of hard black lava, totally destitute of vege¬ 
tation, and apparently owes its existence to an eruption of no dis¬ 
tant period. The whole of the west as well as the north part, we 
found to be inaccessible, and of the same dreary appearance. We 
shot here a number of seals, and, after loading our boats with 
fish, returned to the ship. 
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VOL. I. 
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