Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/277

Rh from the corresponding latitudes of South America, in all human probability something very valuable might be found.

10th. Blew fresh all day: we were carried round the point, to the total destruction of our aerial fabric called continent.

13th. The rocks were very large, and had veins in them filled with a whitish appearance different from what we saw on the 9th. The sides of the hills appeared well wooded, and the country in general as fertile as in so hilly a country could be expected, but without the least signs of inhabitants.

14th. Stood along shore with a fine breeze, and passed three or four places which had much the appearance of harbours, much to my regret, as I wished to examine the mineral appearance from which I had formed great hopes. The country rose immediately from the sea-side in steep hills, tolerably covered with wood; behind these was another ridge covered in many places with snow, which, from its pure whiteness and smoothness in the morning, and the many cracks and intervals that appeared among it at night, we conjectured to be newly fallen.

15th. The country to-day appeared covered with steep hills, whose sides were but ill wooded, but on their tops were large quantities of snow, especially on the sides looking towards the south. We imagined that about noon we passed by some considerable river; the sea was almost covered with leaves, small twigs, and blades of grass.

16th. Much snow on the ridges of the high hills; two were, however, seen on which was little or none, whatever the cause of it might be I could not guess. They were quite bare of trees or any kind of vegetables, and seemed to consist of a mouldering soft stone of the colour of brick or light red ochre. About noon the country near the sea changed much for the better, appearing in broad valleys clothed with prodigious fine woods, out of which came many fine streams of water; but, notwithstanding the beauty of the country, there was not the smallest sign of inhabitants, nor, indeed,