—1799-J 
either wholly confifted of lava, or at leaft 
were of the volcanic kind. The rock is 
net large, and, as appears from our found- 
ings, furrounded by a fteep abyfs. Its 
top is level with the furface of the fea, or 
only a little beneath it: hence it cannot 
be perceived till we,are very near it, or 
only when the waves break ‘againft it. 
The origin of the volcanic ifland which 
was feen at this place in the year 1783, 
may be explained in the following man- 
ner: The rock that {till remains, formed 
the crater from which an eruption at that, 
time happened; the great quantity of lava 
‘that was ejefted accumulated at the bot- 
tom of the fea around the crater, till it 
rofe to a confiderable height above the 
furface of the water. But as this volcano 
is fituated in the wide ocean, where the 
largeft and moft violent waves arife, and 
tower one over another; it is probable 
that their force very, foon deftroyed.a ftruc- 
ture that pofleffed yet fo little folidity and 
ftreneth; efpecially as round about there 
is an ingulfing abyfs, into which it might 
ealily be precipitated. ‘It is to be remem- 
bered likewife, that, in the fame year, a 
confiderable quantity of pumice, and the 
like volcanic productions, whofe fpecific 
‘ gravity is lefs than that of water, was 
driven on fhore in Iceland, and by navi- 
gators found {wimming in the o¢ean, 
Had the eruption happened in a lefs 
-tempeftuous fea, and the profundity around 
it been lefs feep and unfathomable, the 
ejected mafs would have been confolidated 
by its own weight, and in time have be- 
come anifland; 6f which we have feen fe- 
veral inftances in the Archipelago, in the 
Eat Indies, and in other places of the 
ocean. Had this volcanic eruption taken 
place on the main land, or onan ifland, a 
mountain would have been formed by it. 
“A yolcano does not neceffarily originate 
_from a mountain; they have been {een to 
burft forth from the plain: but a neceffary 
confequence is, that the ejefted volcanic 
productions, which are heaped up upon 
the land, at laft become a mountain.— 
Now, as here the mighty waves of the 
ocean could eafily wath away the loofe ac- 
cumulations around the crater, it is not 
abfurd to fuppofe, that, as the fea raged 
over its mouth, the fire was at laft 
overpowered, and the volcano extin- 
guifhed by the water gufhing down the 
opening. 
The crater; formed of rock, remained 
ftanding. It is an undoubted faét, that 
there exifted here a rock even before the 
eruption of the volcano; and later obfer- 
yations evince, that it ftill exifts,— There 
Volcanic Ffland—Manners of isha. 
was before an obf{cure tradition among the 
mariners who were wont to fail to Iceland, 
that hereabout there was a blind rock, 
which they called Blind Fugle-Skior (bird - 
rock). This nameI have retained in the 
chart, though many navigators deny its 
exiftence, becaufe they have often failed 
paft without obferving it. But in this 
cafe, and under fuch circumftances, the 
affertion of one man that he had feen it, 
deferves more credit than the reports of a 
hundred others, who deny its exiftence be-~ 
caufe they have not feen it. -This con- 
firms me in my opinion, that the crater 
was in the fame ftate long before the late 
eruption. 
To conclude: it will not be deemed a 
fuperfluous obfervation, to ftrengthen this 
opinion, that in almoft the fame direction 
from the fouth-weft point of Iceland, as 
has. been remarked above, lie five /mall 
iflands, or rocks, the outermoft of which 
é 
687, 
is 32 miles diftant from the promontory ~ 
Reikiands. Between thefe iflands is deep 
water; and fhips failing to or from the 
weft fide of Iceland commonly pafs that 
way, if they be fufficiently acquainted 
with the fituation of the land and rocks. 
The latter are called by the Danifh ma- 
riners, Vogel-Klippen (Bird-rocks), on ac- 
count of the numbers of fea-fow] reforting 
to them: but the natives of the country 
give them the name of Eld-Eyarne, that 
is Fire-Iflands. May we not thence infer, 
that; in ancient times, they had volcanic 
eruptions? And, indeed, the volcano feen 
in 1783, may likewife have raged long 
before that period. * 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
EING a fincere friend to difcuffion 
of every kind, I never feel averfe ta 
the publication of opinions or reprefenta- 
tions, however different from my own 
ideas, provided they are likely to lead the 
way to fair examination. ‘This, I pre- 
fume, is your principle too; I have, 
therefore, frequently defended you for the 
infertion of articles obnoxious to cenfure, 
as I faw that you readily admitted obfer- 
vations defigned to obviate their effects. 
The account of the character, Gc. of the 
Otaheiteens, given in your laft number, as 
‘a tranflation from the letters of Commer- 
fon, has probably difeufted many of your 
readers, by the extravagant and licentious 
caft of French philofophy which animates 
it; but if,you permit it to be followed by 
fome remarks on the falfe and abfurd na- 
ture of that philefophy, perhaps the caule 

» Cl Rae of 
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