the Yokul;) and to the south we saw the sea,
Stappen and its harbour, in which our brig, the
John, and another vessel, appeared like Rvo small
specks. On the north-east hills beyond an inlet of
the sea bounded the horizon, above which the sun
had noAV got up in all his glory, and threw the
shadow of onr mountain, so defined over the surface
of the sea to the south-west, and above its horizon
in the air, that it was some time before we could
thoroughly be satisfied that it was not another
mountain, before concealed from us by a fog. We
Summit o f Sncsfcll Yokul and its Shadow in the A ir .
began our descent at Ih. 40m. a . m . At half-past
three, we reached the place where we had left our
guide and horses, and arrived safe at the merchant’s
house in about rivo hours more. Campbell
hailed the boat ; and while coffee was preparing for
US by Mr. Hialten, who had left his bed for the
purpose, I took the height of the barometer where
I had taken it before, as likewise the high watermark.
“ After dinner we got into the boat to see the
basaltic lavas. The shore for half a mile is
composed of them ; above them a stream of lava
has floAved— indeed, they appear to have been
formed from such a stream, but Avhat I think is
proof of their being formed by fire is, that many
of the columns have perfect porous lava attached
to their under ends, the one running imperceptibly
into the other. The columns are formed into many
large caverns, with arched mouths ; we roAved our
boat into one of them, the entrance being about
thirty feet Avide, and about the same height. After
entrance it becomes more lofty, and towards the
further extremity it is open at top, being about
sixty feet perpendicularly high ; the columns are
straight, and about four feet in breadth, and from
twenty to fifty feet high, generally consisting of
six, but sometimes of five sides. The depth of Avater
at the entrance is about eight fathoms, and at the
farthest extremity about sixteen feet in depth. The
columns on some other parts of the shore are very
regularly jointed; of these Air. Stanley, Mr. Baines,
and Lieutenant Pierie have taken draAvings.
“ Hiere are thousands and thousands of sea-
foAvl, gulls, skarps, &c. &c., inhabiting the shore.