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observation, with a view to future laws, was the principal motive. The
governor, secretary, attorney-general, and most of the council were
along; and pleasure and business being thus united, their wives were
also of the party. There being no necessity for remaining in the Martha
at night, that vessel was found amply sufficient for all other purposes,
though the "progress" occupied fully a fortnight, As a brief relation of
its details will give the reader a full idea of the present state of
the "country," as the colonists now began to call their territories, we
propose to accompany the travellers, day by day, and to give some short
account of what they saw, and of what they did. The Martha sailed from
the cove about eight in the morning, having on board seventeen
passengers, in addition to two or three who were going over to Rancocus
Island on their regular business. The sloop did not sail, however,
directly for the last-named island, but made towards the volcano, which
had of late ceased to be as active as formerly, and into the condition
of which it was now deemed important to make some inquiries. The Martha
was a very fast vessel, and was soon quietly anchored in a small bay, on
the leeward side of the island, where landing was not only practicable
but easy. For the first time since its existence the crater was
ascended. All the gentlemen went up, and Heaton took its measurement by
means of instruments. The accumulation of materials, principally ashes
and scoriae, though lava had begun to appear in one or two small streams,
had been very great since the governor's first visit to the spot. The
island now measured about two miles in diameter, and being nearly round,
might be said to be somewhere near six in circumference. The crater
itself was fully half a mile in diameter, and, at that moment, was quite
a thousand feet in height above the sea. In the centre of this vast
valley, were three smaller craters or chimneys, which served as outlets
to the fires beneath. A plain had formed within the crater, some four
hundred feet below its summit, and it already began to assume that
sulphur-tinged and unearthly hue, that is so common in and about active
volcanoes. Occasionally, a deep roaring would be succeeded by a hissing
sound, not unlike that produced by a sudden escape of steam from a
boiler, and then a report would follow, accompanied by smoke and stones;
some of the latter of which were projected several hundred yards i