turned the next morning, and late on the evening of the same day, I took my leave of St. Michael's to complete my cruize.

"On opening the volcano, clear of the north-west part of the island, after dark on the 16th, we witnessed one or two eruptions that, had the ship been near enough, would have been awfully grand. It appeared one continued blaze of lightning; but the distance at which it was from the ship, upwards of twenty miles, prevented our seeing it with effect.

Returning again towards St. Michael's, on the 4th of July, I was obliged, by the state of the wind, to pass with the ship very close to the island, which was now completely formed by the volcano, being nearly the height of Matlock High Tor, about eighty yards above the sea. At this time it was perfectly tranquil, which circumstance determined me to land, and explore it more narrowly.

I left the ship in one of the boats, accompanied by some of the officers. As we approached, we perceived it was still smoking in many parts, and upon our reaching the island, found the surf on the beach very high. Rowing round to the lee side, with some little difficulty, by the aid of an oar, as a pole, I jumped on shore, and was followed by the other officers. We found a narrow beach of black ashes, from which the side of the island rose in general too steep to admit of our ascending; and where we could have clambered up, the mass of matter was much too hot to allow our proceeding more than a few yards in the ascent.

The declivity below the surface of the sea was equally steep, having seven fathoms water, scarce the boat's length from the shore, and at the distance of twenty or thirty yards we sounded five and twenty fathoms.

From walking round it in about twelve minutes, I should judge that it was something less than a mile in circumference; but the most extraordinary part was the crater, the mouth of which, on the side facing St. Michael's, was nearly level with the sea. It was filled with water, at that time boiling, and was emptying itself into the sea, by a small stream about six yards over, and by which I should suppose it was

filled again at high water. This stream, close to the edge of the sea, was so hot, as only to admit the finger to be dipped suddenly in, and taken out immediately.

It appeared evident, by the formation of this part of the island, that the sea had, during the eruptions, broken into the crater in two places, as the east side of the small stream was bounded by a precipice, a cliff between twenty and thirty feet high forming a peninsula of about the same dimensions in width, and from fifty to sixty feet long, connected with the other part of the island by a narrow ridge of cinders and lava, as an isthmus of from forty to fifty feet in length, from which the crater rose in the form of an amphitheatre.

This cliff, at two or three miles distance from the island, had the appearance of a work of art resembling a small fort or block house. The top of this we were determined, if possible, to attain; but the difficulty which we had to encounter in doing so was considerable; the only way to attempt it was up the side of the isthmus, which was so steep that the only mode by which we could effect it, was by fixing the end of an oar at the base, with the assistance of which we forced ourselves up in nearly a backward direction.

Having reached the summit of the isthmus, we found another difficulty, for it was impossible to walk upon it, as the descent on the other side was immediate, and as steep as the one we had ascended; but by throwing our legs across it, as would be done on the ridge of a house, and moving ourselves forwards by our hands, we at length reached that part of it where it gradually widened itself, and formed the summit of the cliff, which we found to have a perfectly flat surface, of the dimensions before stated.

.

Judging this to be the most conspicuous situation, we here planted the Union, and left a bottle sealed up containing a small account of the origin of the island, and of our landing upon it, and naming it Sabrina Island.

Within the crater I found the complete skeleton of a guard-fish, the bones of which, being perfectly burnt, fell to pieces upon attempting to take them up; and

by the account of the inhabitants of the coast of St. Michael's, great numbers of fish had been destroyed during the early part of the eruption, as large quantities, probably suffocated or poisoned, were accordingly found drifted into the small inlets or bays.

The island, like other volcanic productions, is composed principally of porous substances, and generally burnt to complete cinders, with occasional masses of a stone, which I should suppose to be a mixture of iron and lime-stone.

CAMIRA.---AN AMERICAN TALE.

FROM THE FRENCH OF THE CHEVALIER DE FLORIAN. Concluded from page 216.

On the evening of the day previous to that on which Angelina was to take the veil, the good father Maldonado, having returned from visiting the sick, was resting himself on a stone seat at the door of his house. He was thinking of Camira, when, at a distance, he saw some one running, heard him suddenly utter a loud cry, and then felt himself pressed in the arms of a young man. It was his son; it was Camira! The good Jesuit almost fainted with joy, The Guarani felt the same; he was unable to speak. Both entered the house, embracing each other; and when at length the emotion of their hearts had a little subsided, "Father!" said Camira to him, "it is I, it is indeed I you see your son once more, and you see him worthy of that name. I have betrayed neither love, nor honour; I am faithful, I can remain faithful, to my brethren and to my mistress! I come to discover to the governor the gold mine which he required from me; and this treasure is far from the road which would lead him among my countrymen.

Maldonado, who made him repeat over again this joyful intelligence, partook in the transports of his son. He would not damp his pleasure by telling him that Angelina was to take the veil on the morrow; but he instantly hastened to Pedreras, to obtain the deferring of the ceremony, to inform him of the immense treasure which Camira was come to put into

his hands, and to demand the performance of a sacred promise. Pedreras, surprised and delighted, renewed his promise, wrote immediately to the convent, ordering every thing to be suspended, and, as soon as the day broke, he set off with Maldonado, followed by a strong escort, under the guidance of the young savage.

They travelled all the day, passed the night under the trees, and the next morning resumed their journey in the desert mountains which extend along the frontier of Chili. The governor testified to him his astonishment; he had already caused a search to be made in this district, and no metals had been found. Camira proceeded forward with a tranquil countenance, When he came near a cavern, formed by barren rocks, he stopped, and showing the entrance, he ordered the workmen to begin digging. He was obeyed. Pedreras, with avaricious eyes, watched every motion of the miners; the Jesuit, uneasy and pensive, put up prayers, of which, for the first time, the object was riches; Camira sighed, and said nothing.

At five or six feet from the surface Pedreras saw the first sparkling of the metal. He uttered a cry of gladness, rushed forward, and gathered up in his two hands a reddish earth filled with grains of virgin gold. This stratum was long and thick; and, under the sand which supported it, were several others which were still richer. Pedreras hurried to Camira, pressed him to his bosom, called him his nephew, and swore to feel for him an eternal tenderness. He then gave orders to proceed with the mining. Four mules were already laden with gold, and the cavern was not exhausted. The governor left a guard there, under his lieutenant. Eager, as he said, to perform his promise, he returned to Assumption with Maldonado and Camira. He conducted them to his palace; and as soon as the avaricious Pedreras had put his treasure in a place of safety, he went himself to the convent to his niece, to tell her that she must quit it directly, and prepare to become the bride of Camira on the following day.

Judge what extreme surprise, and what extreme happiness, was felt by the tender Angelina. She could

scarcely believe what she heard; she was not sure that it was not a dream: but, accustomed to submit, she obeyed without making any reply. She put off her dusky and coarse woollen dress to put on silk and gold once more; the fillet was taken from her modest brow, and her long locks again fell in ringlets down her shoulders. The emotion of her mind suffused her cheeks with a lively carnation; and her eyes, which she dared not raise, darted a thousand fires through their long and dark lashes. A thousand times more lovely than she was on the day when Camira saved her life, she quitted the convent to meet him, and the happy Camira waited for her in an outer room, where Pedreras had left him alone.

As soon as he saw her, he threw himself at her feet. "Hear me," said he, “most beautiful and most amiable of women. Before you obey your uncle, hear the powerful motives which compelled me to fly from you. Pedreras, as the price of your hand, required from me the discovery of a gold mine. I knew of none but what were in my own country. By guiding him thither I should have given up my brethren to the cruelty of your countrymen the Spaniards. I never would have done it, Angelina! It is to yourself that I declare it; it is at the moment when I see you dazzling in all your charms that I dare to answer for myself that I would have sacrificed my love to my duty, to my country. But that love inspired me better. I quitted my virtuous father; I returned among the Guaranis. I easily procured abundance of gold. Assisted by my countrymen, I employed a whole year in conveying this gold to a great distance from the spot where it was found, in hiding it in the earth, and in thus heaping together riches enough, not to merit you, but at least to obtain you. A hundred times did I make this long journey, and I would have made it ten times as often had I not been prevented by want of time. Your image, which was ever present, always inspired me with the fear of offering too small a gift. Pedreras deigns, however, to be contented with this treasure; he is ignorant of the value of that which he gives me but it is from yourself, from yourself alone, that I now wish to receive it."