‘ v!‘
I:
ru g g e d , a p p a r e n tly u t t e r ly u n a ffe c te d b y a tm o s p lie ric
a c tio n , t h a t th e im p r e s s io n is ir r e s is tib le t h a t i t is a
la te ly fo rm e d h e a p o f c in d e rs a n d a sh e s p ro b a b ly
s till r e s tin g u p o n s lu in h e r in g fires. The is la n d is
ir r e g u la r ly OA'al in fo rm , a h o u t s ev en a n d a -h a lf m ile s
lo n g h y six wide ; th e p o s itio n o f th e c e n tr a l p e a k is
la t. 7° 56' 58" S., long. 14° 20' W. ; i t is d ire c tly in
th e p a th o f th e s o u th - e a s t tr a d e , so t h a t th e r e is a n
ex p o sed Aveather side Avith a b r u p t cliffs a n d p r e c
ip ic e s a n d u n s a fe la n d in g , a n d a le e side Avhere
th e r e is th e s e ttlem e n t a n d a n c h o ra g e . As in a lm o s t
a ll th e s e v o lc a n ic is la n d s in th e p a th o f c o n s ta n t
winds, d u r in g th e p e rio d s o f e ru p tio n th e sco riæ a n d
a sh e s have b e e n d r iv e n to le ew a rd o f th e c e n tre of
a c tio n , a n d h a v e p ro d u c e d a h a n k Avhich uoav fo rm s
good h o ld in g a n c h o ra g e -g ro u n d .
From the anchorage there is not a particle of
vegetation to he seen, except the slight green tinge
near the top of Green Mountain, about six miles
distant ; only a Avaste of lava and ashes, hlack, grey
and red, rising peak after peak and ridge after ridge,
u n til the harsh outlines and ahrnpt alternations of
colour become somewhat softened down and melloAved
in the distance. The little toAvn is placed on a
dreary plot of cinders at the end of a valley which
Avinds up hetAveen tAvo great cones of red ashes, and
eventually reaches the foot of Green Mountain.
There is a small fort mounting rather heavy guns,
Avith a little pier beside it, AA'here there is fair landing
in moderate Aveather. There is, moreover, a large
crane at the end of the pier, and a very slight shift
of the trade-AA'ind makes it necessary to rig a chair,
or a hight of a rope as the case may he, on the chain.