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

494) WILD cYCLOPiAX SCENE. Sept. sea ; so that this island, large as it is, may be literally described by saying that it consists of six huge craters, whose bases are united by their own overflowed lava. The southern side, which is exposed to the trade wind, and completely intercepts it, with all the clouds it brings, is thickly wooded, very green, and doubtless has fresh water ; but how is that water to be obtained where such a swell rolls upon the shore ? The weather side of Chatham Island is partially protected from the great south-west swell of the Pacific by Hood Island, yet even there it is difficult to land. We passed this night under easy sail, off the south-west extreme of Albemarle Island ; and on the 29th we found a small cove, in which we anchored ; but such a wild-looking place — with such quantities of hideous iguanas as were quite startling ! Hence I despatched Mr. Mellersh and Mr. King, to examine the depth of Elizabeth Bay, and rejoin us beyond Narborough Island ; we then weighed, and continued our examination of this unearthly shore. Passing a low projecting point, our eyes and imagination were engrossed by the strange wildness of the view ; for in such a place Vulcan might have worked. Amidst the most confusedly heaped masses of lava, black and barren, as if hardly yet cooled, innumerable craters (or fumeroles) showed their very regular, even artificial looking heaps. It was like immense iron works, on a Cyclo- pian scale ! When this lava flowed from the heights it must have been stopped rather suddenly (cooled) by the water ; for the lava cliffs are in some places twenty, and in others forty feet high, while close to them there is water so deep that a ship could not anchor there, even in a calm while the sea is quite smooth. Until we rounded this point the wind was very strong, eddy- ing round the high south-west cape ; but here we were be- calmed, and passed some anxious hours, till at length light variable airs carried us off-shore. 30th. This morning we passed a remarkably fine American whaler, the Science, carrying nine whale-boats ! On the south-