Volume 14 Australasia - dana ward's homepage

KEEGUELEN. 61The Kerguelen mountains, all of igneous origin and either of columnar orterrace formation, are not disposed in any regular system, although the main axisruns on the whole in the direction from north-Tvest to south-east. According tothe reports of the whalers, the underground forces are still active, and amountain in the south-west is said to emit vapours. Mount Ross, the highestsummit hitherto measured (6,100 feet), lies near the southern extremity of theisland, while the eastern and south-eastern peninsulas are respectively occupiedby Mounts Crozier (3,300 feet) and Wyville Thomson (3,200 feet). GlaciersFig. 22. Kebotjelen.Scale 1 : 1,600,000.&Depths.descend from the upper valleys of these highlands, and at least at one point on thewest side reach the seacoast.Towards the west thesnows and ice covering the interior, and easily confusedat a distance with the overhanging banks of white clouds, render an accuratesurvey of the craters, crevasses, and lava streams almost impossible. But nearthe seaboard are seen numerous volcanoes, whose craters are now filled with snowor water. The east side, where fair weather prevails, receives less moisture, andhere the snow line is arrested at a mean elevation of 1,000 feet above the sea.