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I then creeped on, and raised myself gently up by
the side of a most enormous precipice, and just had
time to see them above me on the very summit. I
then laid myself down again to push forward, but
recollecting the barometer, and that no one could
more conveniently than myself bring it, Mr. Stanley
and Mr. Wright being before me, and th a t neither
the carpenter nor the gentleman below would venture,
I hallooed to Alessrs. Stanley and Wright to
knoAv if T should bring it, but they Avere too much
engaged Avith the prospect and Avriting tlieir
sAveethearts’ names, that neither of them heard me ;
so I came doAvn, and by the time I Avas at the
bottom of this cone I found they had folloAved me,
and Avere more than half way. I waited for them.
Mr. Wright came down with great velocity at one
place ; I thought he could not have saA'ed himself.
We Avelcomed the two heroes. Mr. Stanley said the
danger is too great to go up again with the barometer,
and proposed measuring the height Avhere
Ave stood, but Air. Wright Avould cari-y it up. Air.
Stanley said he AVonld go with him, and 1 joined.
We succeeded in regaining the top.”
While these gentlemen were employed on their
arduous ascent of the Snæfell Yokul, Air. Baine
Avas not less actively and fatigningly engaged in
ascertaining its height, i t Avould not be interesting
enough to the general reader to detail the
measures he took to obtain this object : it Avill be
f
enough to state what the results Avere, after a
careful examination of every step by Mr. Robison,
Professor of Natural Philosophy of Edinburgh :—
Feet.
The height deduced from the Geometrical
measurement is . . . . 4587
B y the Barometrical measurement . 4534
Difference 33
Mr. Baine also took the elevation of Aiount
Hecla by geometrical measurement, and made it
4300 feet, which is 700 feet less than Avhat Sir
Joseph Banks’s party made it hy a barometer of
Ramsden.
i am not aware that it has ever been noticed by
geologists, th a t basaltic rocks and basaltic pillars,
commencing first at Fairhead and the Giants’
CauseAvay, the most splendid examples that
perhaps exist, continue to make their appearance
in various places as we advance to the northAvard,
on or near to the same meridian line, passing
through the western islands of Scotland, exhibiting
a magnificent display on the Island of StaiTa, and
from thence showing themselves in more or less
perfection and beauty along the Hebrides, and as
far as the Feroe Islands. Advancing still farther,
Avith a little inclination to the AvestAvard, they are
found in profusion in almost CA'ery part of Iceland,
intermingled with every species of volcanic production,
the whole of this immense island evi