MICHAEL. 
hide as much above the level of our eye as the fea was 
below it. As the impetus with which the columns were 
Severally propelled diminiflied, and their afcending motion 
had nearly ceafed, they broke into various branches re- 
fembling a groupe of pines ; thefe again forming them- 
felves into feiloons of white feathery finoke in the molt 
fanciful manner imaginable, intermixed with the finelt 
particles of falling allies, which at one time affirmed the 
appearance of innumerable plumes of black and white 
oftrich-feathers furmounting each other; at another, that 
of the light wavy branches of a weeping willow. During 
thefe burlls, the molt vivid fialhes of lightning continu¬ 
ally iffued from the denfeft part of the volcano and the 
cloud of linoke, now afcending to an altitude much above 
the higheft point to which the alhes were projected, rolled 
off in large mafi'es of fleecy clouds, gradually expanding 
themfelves before the wind in a direction nearly horizon¬ 
tal, and drawing up to them a quantity of water-fpouts, 
which formed a molt beautiful and linking addition to 
the general appearance of the fcene. 
“ That part of the fea where the volcano was fituated, 
was upwards of thirty fathoms deep, and at the time of 
our viewing it the volcano was only four days old. Soon 
after our arrival on the cliff, a peal'ant obferved he could 
difcern a peak above the water: we looked, but could 
not fee it: however in lefs than half an hour it was plainly 
vifible, and before we quitted the place, which was about 
three hours from the time of our arrival, a complete cra¬ 
ter was formed above the water, not lefs than twenty feet 
high on the fide where the greateft quantity of allies fell; 
the diameter of the crater being apparently about four 
or five hundred feet. The great eruptions were gene¬ 
rally attended with a noife like the continued firing of 
cannon and mufquetry intermixed, as alfo with flight 
ftiocks of earthquake, Several of which having been felt 
by my companions, but none by myfelf, I had become 
half Sceptical, and thought their opinion arofe merely 
from the force of imagination ; but, while we were fitting 
within five or fix yards of the edge of the cliff, partaking 
of a flight repalt which had been brought with us, and 
were all bulily engaged, one of the molt magnificent 
burlls took place which we had yet witnefi'ed, accompa¬ 
nied by a very fevere lhock of an earthquake. The in- 
ftaiitaneous and involuntary movement of each was to 
lpring upon hi? feet, and I faid, This admits of no doubt. 
The words had fcarcely palled my lips, before we obferved 
a large portion of the face of the cliff, about fifty yards 
on our left, falling, which it did with a violent craft. 
“ On the Succeeding day, June 15th, having the conful 
and forne other friends on-board, I weighed, and pro¬ 
ceeded with the (hip towards the volcano, with the in¬ 
tention of witnefling a night-view ; but in this expecta¬ 
tion we were greatly difappointed, from the wind frelh- 
ening, and the weather becoming thick and hazy, and 
alfo from the volcano itfelf being clearly more quiefcent 
than it was the preceding day. It feldom emitted any 
lightning, but occaiionally as much flame as may be feen 
to iffne from the top of a glafs-houfe or foundery chim¬ 
ney. On parting direftly finder the great cloud of fmoke, 
about three or four miles diftant from the volcano, the 
decks of the fitip were covered with fine black alhes, 
which fell intermixed with fimall rain. We returned the 
next morning, and late in the evening of the fame day 
I took my leave of St. Michael’s to complete my cruize. 
“ Returning again towards St. Michael’s, on the 4th 
of July, I was obliged, by the Hate of the wind, to parts 
with the lliip very dole to the ifland, which was now 
completely formed by the volcano, being nearly the height 
of Matlock High Tor, about eighty yards above the lea. 
At this time it was perfectly tranquil; which circum- 
itance determined me to land, and explore it more nar¬ 
rowly. I left the Ihip in one of the boats, accompanied 
by fome of the officers. As we approached, we perceived 
that it was Hill fmoking in many parts; and upon our 
reaching the ifland found the lurrt-on the beach very high. 
Vot.XV. N0.JO45. 
821 
Rowing round to the lee fide, with fome little difficulty, 
by the aid of an oar, as a pole, I jumped on-fhore, and 
was followed by the other officers. We found a narrow 
beach of black allies, from which the lide of the ifland 
role in general too lleep to admit of our afcending; and, 
where we could have clambered up, the mafs of matter 
was much too hot to allow our proceeding more than a 
few yards in the afcent. The declivity below the furface 
of the fea was equally lleep, having feven fathoms water 
fcarcely the boat’s length from the ftore, and at the dis¬ 
tance of twenty or thirty yards we founded twenty-five 
fathoms. From walking round it in about twelve mi¬ 
nutes, l fliould judge that it was fomething lels than a 
mile in circumference; but the molt extraordinary part 
was the crater, the mouth of which, on the fide facing 
St. Michael’s, was nearly level with the lea. It was filled 
with water, at that time boiling; and was emptying itfelf 
into the fea by a ('mail ftream about fix yards over, and 
by which I Ihould fuppofe it was continually filled again 
at high water. This ftream, dole to the edge of the lea, 
was fo hot, as only to admit the finger to be dipped fiud- 
den ly in, and taken out again immediately. 
“ It appeared evident, by the formation of this part of 
the ifland, that the fea had, during the eruptions, broke 
into the crater in two places, as the eall fide of the fmall 
ltreani was bounded by a precipice, a cliff between twenty 
and thirty feet high, forming a peninfula of about the 
fame dimenlxons in width, and from fifty to fixty feet 
long, connected with another part of the ifland by a nar¬ 
row ridge of cinders and lava, as an ifthmus of from forty 
to fifty feet in length, from which the crater role in the 
form of an amphitheatre. This cliff, at two or three 
miles diltance from the ifland, had the appearance of a 
work of art, refembling a fmall fort or block-houfe. The 
top of this we were determined, if pofiible, to attain; but 
the difficulty we had to encounter in doing fo was confi- 
derable; the only way to attempt it was up the fide of 
the ifthmus, which was fo lleep, that the only mode by 
which we could effeft it, was by fixing the end of an oar 
at the bale, with the afliftance of which we forced our- 
felves up in nearly a backward direction. Having reached 
the fummit of the ifthmus, we found another difficulty, 
for it was impoflible to walk upon it, as the defcent on 
the other fide was immediate, and as lleep as the one we 
had afcended; but, by- throwing our legs aero Is it, as 
would be done on the ridge of a houfe, and moving our- 
felves forward by our hands, we at length reached that 
part of it where it gradually widened itfelf and formed 
the fummit of the cliff, which we found to have a per¬ 
fectly flat furface, of the dimensions before Hated. Judging 
this to be the moil confpicuous fituation, we here planted 
the union-jack, and left a bottle l'ealed up containing a 
Fmall account of the origin of the ifland, and of our hav¬ 
ing landed upon it, and naming it Sabrina Ijland." 
We underhand that Sabrina Ifland has gradually dis¬ 
appeared lince the month of October, 1811, leaving an 
extenfive fhoal. Smoke was difeovered ftill bluing out of 
the fea, in February 1812, near the l'pot where this won¬ 
derful phenomenon appeared. No accounts have reached 
us lince. 
MI'CHAEL (St.), a fmall ifland in the Englifh Channel, 
lying off Eall-Looe, in Cornwall. Lat. 50.18. N. Ion. 4. 
33. W. 
MI'CHAEL (St.), a borough-town of Cornwall, be¬ 
tween St. Columb and Truro, 349 miles from London. 
Though one of the oldelt boroughs in the county by pre- 
feription, and of great note in the Saxon times, it is now 
fo defpicable a town, that it does not confift of above 
thirty thatched houfes and one inn. It Hands in the two 
ariihes of Newlyn and St. Enedore ; which laftis a valua- 
le vicarage, in the gift of the bifhop of Exeter. This bo¬ 
rough is governed by a portreeve, chofen annually, by a 
jury of the chief inhabitants, out of the fix principal te¬ 
nants, who are called “ deputy lords of the manor,” from 
poffelfing lands in the borough. The manor >elonged to 
4 N the 
