are a few limpets and muscles; and amongst
the stones a few small star-fish and sea-anemonies were found."

"The hills are of a moderate height; yet many of their tops were covered
with snow at this time, though answering to our June. Some of them have
large quantities of stones, irregularly heaped together at their root,
or on their sides. The sides of others, which form steep cliffs toward
the sea, are rent from the top downward, and seem ready to fall off,
having stones of a considerable size lying in the fissures. Some were of
opinion that frost might be the cause of these fissures, which I shall
not dispute; but how others of the appearances could be effected, but by
earthquakes, or some such severe shocks, I cannot say."

"It appears that rain must be almost constant here, not only from the
marks of large torrents having rushed down, but from the disposition of
the country, which, even on the hills, is almost an entire bog or swamp,
the ground sinking at every step."

"The rocks, or foundations of the hills, are composed chiefly of a dark
blue, and very hard, stone; intermixed with small particles of glimmer
or quartz. This seems to be one of the most universal productions of
nature, as it constitutes whole mountains in Sweden, in Scotland, at the
Canary Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, and at this place. Another
brownish brittle stone forms here some considerable rocks; and one which
is blacker, and found in detached pieces, incloses bits of coarse
quartz. A red, a dull yellow, and a purplish sand-stone, are also found
in small pieces; and pretty large lumps of semi-transparent quartz,
disposed irregularly in polyedral pyramidal crystals of long shining
fibres. Some small pieces of the common sort are met with in the brooks,
made round by attrition; but none hard enough to resist a file. Nor were
any of the other stones acted on by aquafortis, or attracted by the
magnet."

"Nothing, that had the least appearance of an ore or metal, was seen."

SECTION VI.

_Passage from Kerguelen's to Van Diemen's Land.--Arrival in Adventure
Bay.--Incidents there.--Interviews with the Natives.--Their Persons and
Dress described.--Account of their Behaviour.--Table of the Longitude,
Latitude, and Variation.--Mr Anderson's Observations on the Natural
Productions of the Country, on the Inhabitants, and their Language_.

After leaving Kerguelen's Land, I steered E. by N. intending, in
obedience to my instructions, to touch