Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1835. ALBEMARLE ISLAND CRATERS. 493 we caught were not venomous. Among the useful vegetables we noticed the plaintain, pumpkin, yuca, Quito orange, castor oil plant and melon, besides those before mentioned. Returning on board we met Mr. Stokes on his way from the southern parts of the island : he described the lava there- abouts as having such a form and rugged surface as the sea would present if suddenly congealed, while ruffled by a very strong wind. 26th. After completing the necessary observations in Post- Office Bay, we weighed and worked round to an anchorage off Black Beach : and at nine in the evening Mr. Chaffers re- turned, having been round the south side of this island after visiting the small eastern islets. He found much difficulty in landing on them, but succeeded, and from the top of Gardner . Islet saw a dangerous breaker about a mile to the south east- ward. 27th. Being Sunday, many of the officers and ship's company were on shore in the afternoon, and some of the officers went to the top of the highest hill, which has a crater, as have all the hills we examined about these islands ; and these craters are all similarly broken down on the side towards the south. 28th. Having taken on board live pigs and a quantity of vegetables, we weighed and stood towards Albemarle Island. Four small islets, the remains of volcanoes, lie near the low south-east extreme of this island, and together with Brattle Islet, are extremely useful in warning vessels of their approach to a very dangerous piece of coast. So low are the sovith-eastern extremities of Albemarle Island that they are not discernible until you see the surf on the shore. A heavy swell setting to- wards the land, and generally light winds, add to the danger of getting near this coast ; but there is anchorage in case of necessity. Albemarle Island is a singular mass of volcanic ejections. Six volcanoes have there raised their summits from two to four thousand feet above the ocean, and from them immense quantities of lava have from time to time flowed towards the