fore us a fissure greatly more formidable in width and depth than any we had passed, and which, indeed, offered an insuperable obstacle to our further progress. The highest peak of the Jokul was still a hundred feet above us; and after looking at it some time, with the mortification of disappointment, and making some fruitless attempts to reach, at least, a bare exposed rock which stood in the middle of the fissure, we were obliged to give up all hope of advancing further. The peak of the Jokul we had now attained, is about 4,460 feet above the level of the sea. The extensive view which we might have obtained from this elevated point, was almost entirely intercepted by the great masses of cloud, which hung upon the sides of the mountain, and admitted only partial and indistinct views of the landscape beneath. It has been said by Eghert Olafson, and others, that from one part of the channel which lies between Iceland and Greenland, the mountain of Snæfell Jokul may be seen on one side, and a lofty mountain in Greenland on the other. It is difficult to ascertain how far this is an accurate statement. The distance between the two countries at this place cannot be less than eighty or ninety leagues. The clouds now began rapidly to accumulate, and were visibly rolling up the side of the mountain; we were therefore anxious to quit our present situation as speedily as possible, that we might repass the chasm before we were involved in mist. Our first object, however, was to examine the state of the magnetic needle, which Olafson in his travels asserts to be put into great agitation at the summit of this mountain, and no longer to retain its polarity. What may be the case a hundred feet higher, we cannot affirm; but at the point we reached, the needle was quite stationary, and, as far as we could judge, perfectly true. We then noted an observation of the thermometer, which we were surprised to find scarcely so low as the freezing point; and after an application to the brandy bottle, began with great care to retrace the footsteps of our ascent. We found re-crossing the chasm a work of no small danger; for whenever we stuck our poles into the snow bridge, they went directly through. The first person, therefore, who crossed, thrust his pole deep into the lower part of the wall, thus affording a point of sup port for the feet of those who followed; Mr. Holland, however, who was the second in passing over, had, notwithstanding, a narrow escape, for his foot actually broke through the bridge of snow, and it was with difficulty he rescued himself from falling into the chasm beneath. We were scarcely all safe on the lower side of the chasm, when the mist surrounding us, made it extremely difficult to keep the tract by which we had ascended the mountain. When we came opposite to a small bank which we had remarked in our ascent as being free from snow, we desired our guide to remain where he was, that we might not lose the path, while we went to examine the spot. We found the bank to be almost entirely composed of fragments of pumice and volcanic scoriæ. After our return to the former tract, we made the best of our way back to Olafsvik, which we reached at about a quarter past six, to the great surprise of every one; for we were scarcely expected till the following morning; such is the reve-" rential awe inspired by the Jokul. None of our party seemed more gratified with the exploit than our guide, who having always been accustomed to look upon the Jokul as some invincible giant, greatly exulted in this victory over him; but we afterwards learned, that he found considerable difficulty in making his friends credit his narrative of the ascent. [Sir George Mackenzie's Travels in Iceland.] CHAP. XIII. ASIATIC VOLCANOES. UPON PON the whole, this quarter of the world appears to have suffered less severely from the calamity of volcanoes and earthquakes than any other. Those that are chiefly worthy of notice are to be found in Japan and the New Hebrides. SECTION 1. Volcanoes of Japan. JAPAN is very remarkable for the great number of its burning mountains. Not far from Firanda, is a small rocky island, which hath been burning and trembling for many centuries; and in another small island, opposite to Santzuma, is a volcano that has been burning at different intervals for many ages. On the summit of a mountain, in the province of Figo, is a large cavern, formerly the mouth of a volcano, but the flame has ceased, probably for want of combustible matter. In the same province, near a religious structure called the Temple of the Jealous God of Aso, a perpetual flame issues from the top of a mountain. In the province of Tsickusen is another burning mountain, where was formerly a coal-pit; but it being set on fire by the carelessness of the workmen, it has been burning ever since. Sometimes a black smoke, accompanied with a very disagreeable stench, is observed to issue out of the top of a famous mountain called Fesi, in the province of Seruga. This mountain is said to be nearly as high as the Peak of Teneriffe, but in shape and beauty is supposed to have no equal, and its top is covered with perpetual snow. Captain Gore, when leaving the coast of Japan; passed by great quantities of pumice-stone, several pieces of which were taken up, and found to weigh from one ounce to three pounds; it was conjectured that these stones had been thrown into the sea by eruptions at various times, as many of them were covered with barnacles, and others were quite bare. SECTION II: Volcanoes of Kamtschatka. THERE are three burning mountains in Kamtschatka which for many years have thrown out a considerable smoke, but do not often burst into flame. One of these is situated in the neighbourhood of Awatska; another called the volcano of Tolbatchiek, is situated on a neck of ground between the river Kamtschatka, and the Tolbatchiek. In the beginning of the year 1739, a whirlwind of flames issued from its crater, which reduced to ashes the forests on the neighbouring mountains: this was succeeded by a cloud of smoke which overspread and darkened the whole country, till it was dissipated by a shower of cinders, which covered the ground to the distance of thirty miles. The third volcano is on the top of the mountain of Kamtschatka, which is described as by far the highest in the peninsula; it rises from two rows of hills, some what in the form of a sugar-loaf, to a very great height; usually throws out ashes twice or thrice a year, sometimes in such quantities, that for three hundred versts round the earth is covered with them: a conflagration began on the 25th of September, in the year 1737, and continued burning a week, with such violence, that the mountain appeared, to those who were fishing at sea, like one redhot rock; and the flames that burst through several openings, with a dreadful noise, resembled rivers of fire. From the inside of the mountain were heard thunderings, crackings, and blowing like the blast of the strongest bellows, shaking all the neighbouring country ; the nights were most terrible; but at last the conflagration ended, by the mountain's casting out a prodigious quantity of cinders and ashes, among which were porous stones, and glass of various colours. When Captain Clerk sailed out of the harbours of Staints Peter and Paul, to the northward, an eruption of the first of these volcanoes was observed, being on the 15th of June, 1778; before day-light a rumbling noise was heard, resembling distant hollow thunder; and when the day broke, the decks and sides of the ships were seen to be covered with a fine dust like emery, near an inch thick, the air at the same time continued loaded and darkened with this substance, and towards the mountain, which is situated to the north of the harbour, was so thick and black, that the body of the hill could not be distinguished. About twelve o'clock, and during the afternoon, the explosions became louder, and were followed by showers of cinders, which were in general about the size of peas, though many were picked up upon the deck larger than a hazel nut. Along with the cinders fell several small stones, which had undergone no change from the action of fire. In the evening, dreadful thunder and lightning came on, which, with the darkness of the atmosphere, and the sulphureous smell of the air, produced altogether a most awful effect. The ships were at that time about eight leagues from the foot of the mountain. Capt. Clerke was informed, on his re turn, that at the craters of St. Peter and of St. Paul stones were thrown forth of the size of a goose's egg, SECTION III. Volcanoes of the New Hebrides. A cluster of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which was first traced by Quiros, in 1606, next by M. de Bougainville, in 1768, and after |