SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
93 
inland too, the pools are salt; and not a vegetable, but the 
cactus here and there, is seen to root in the rock. Sea¬ 
ward, however, the eye is relieved by a few patches of man¬ 
grove, which have begun to fringe the desolate place with 
green. 
About half way down the steep south-east side of the 
Island, a volcano burns day and night; and near the beach 
a crater was pouring forth streams of lava, which on reach¬ 
ing the sea caused it to bubble in an extraordinary manner. 
We returned to the ship in the afternoon, having taken 
forty-six large green turtle, but failed of getting any terra¬ 
pin. We also killed some seals, pelicans, and penguins, and 
saw sea-lions sporting about the rocks. 
March 29 . —We were employed in cutting wood, and 
procured a sufficiency for three weeks; but, as usual in hot 
climates, brought on board with it scorpions and centipedes. 
The high Island of Albemarle is tolerably green, but in one 
part there is a bleak field of lava, which appears to have 
flowed out of the flank of the grassy mountain, pretty low 
down. Our botanist found several rare and interesting 
plants, some of which are probably quite new; but with the 
exception of the common balsam-tree and a species of 
acacia, most of the vegetation is dwarfish. The land birds 
