ttered rock minutely broken into cubes and other angular forms would
suggest that some great shock had occurred. Then the usual yellow pellets
of polished lava, either globular or pear-shaped, or like an elongated
oval ending in a point and well rounded at the other end, would also
indicate that these missiles had been flying great distances through the
air in a molten state before they had actually dropped. In fact, the
flight was so long as absolutely to cool and solidify them before they
fell--unless they had fallen in cold water--for they had retained their
original form, instead of getting flattened at the heavier end, as could
be expected had the lava reached the ground in a half-soft state. Large
blocks of lava--which naturally took a longer time to cool and a shorter
time to reach the earth after their flight through the atmosphere--had,
in fact, become flattened on the lower side where they struck the ground.
Others of a composite globular form had invariably been flattened into a
slight curve on the side where they had come in contact with the soil.

Ovoid rocks as large as a loaf of bread and composed of compressed
cinders were to be seen about, which, when easily split open, showed a
band of slightly ferruginous matter, very brittle, in a crystallized
condition. In the centre of these rocks were invariably found beautiful
crystals of great limpidity, easily separated from one another by a
slight pressure of the fingers.

Erosion had evidently since played great part in the present appearance
of the country, but to my mind--directly above what is now a
valley--there existed at one time a high range of mountains, which was in
those days the great dividing line of the waters flowing south and north.

One might, of course, also argue that what are the mountains now have
been pushed up from underneath above the ground into their present
position, but local conditions do not tend to encourage this theory.

The strata of red baked rock in the existing mountain side were almost
absolutely horizontal, with merely a slight dip to the north. In the
northern end of the range the rock showing through the vegetation was
white, as if it had been subjected to baking. The western aspect of the
first range showed also a vertical summit of red rock with a sloping spur
extending to the west.

We camped that night on the river Prata, which flowed south. Elevation,
1,300 ft. Maximum temperature 85 deg. F., minimum 631/2 deg. F