in the dry foil. Having at laft with great fatigue, climbed
over this extenfive and tremendous current of lava, which
was much more folid than the heaps nearer to the fea, we
came to the foot of the green mountain, which even from
the fliip s place in the bay, we had plainly diftinguiflied to
be of a different nature from all the reft of the country.
Thofe parts of the lava which furrounded it, were covered
with a prodigious quantity of purflane, and a kind of new
fern floneUtis adfcenjicmis) where feveral flocks of wild goats
were feeding. The great mountain is divided in its extremities,
by various clefts into feveral bodies, but in the
centre they all run together, and form one broad mafs of
great height. The whole appears to confift of a gritty tophaceous
lime-ftone, which has never heen attacked by the
volcano, but probably exifted prior to its eruption ; its fides
are covered with a kind of grafs, peculiar to the ifland, which
Linnteus has named arifUdu njceTifamis. We likewife obferved
feveral flocks of goats feeding on it ; but they were all
exceflively flay, and ran with furprifing velocity along tremendous
precipices, where it was impoflible to follow
them. The matter of the New York (loop acquainted U6,
that there is a fpring of water on one part of this mountain,
which falls down a great precipice, and is afterwards ab-
forbed in the fand. I am almoft perfuaded that with a little
trouble, Afcenfion might fliordy be made flt for the refidence
of
of men. The introduction of furze (ulex europausj, and
of a few other plants which thrive belt in a parched foil,
and are not likely to be attacked by rats or goats, would
foon have the fame effeCl as at St. Helena. The moifture
attracted from the atmofphere by the high mountains in
the centre of the ifland, would then no longer be evaporated
by the violent aCtion of the. fun, but colleCt into
rivulets, and gradually fupply the whole ifland. A fod
of graffes would every where cover the furface of the
ground, and annually encreafe the ftratum of mould, till
it could be planted with more ufeful vegetables^
We returned gradually to Crofs Bay, in the heat of
noon, over the plain, having a fpace of more than five
miles to traverfe, where the fun burnt, and bliftered our
faces and necks, and heated the foil to fuch a degree, that
our feet were likewife extremely fore. About three
o’clock we arrived at" the water’s-fide, and after bathing
in a fmall cove among a few rocks, we made the fignal
for a boat, and were taken on board. The next forenoon wednefd. 3,r
we made another fmall excurfion, in company with captain
Cook, towards the Green Mountain, but we were all of us fo
much fatigued that we could not reach it. We made no new
obfervations in the courfe of this day, the nature of the
ifland being dreary beyond defcription, in its outfkirts. In
the afternoon we hoifted in all our boats, and fet fail,
^ 0L‘ 4 E having