Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/104

50 "Mr 1701.

of the plains; crpccially tliai ilirough which the ri ulct in Oydrr Harbour has been nieiitioned to flow. In that plain we ibinui, at irregular in- tervals, juft beneath the furface, a (ubilratnm of" an apj)arently imperfeft chalk, or a rich white niarle, fceniingly formed of the fame decayed fhells, with which the courfe of the river abounded. Thefe flrata, about eight or ten yards broad, run perpendicularly to the rivulet; their depth we had not leifure to examine, although there feemed little doubt of finding this f ubflance in fufficient abundance for the purpofes of manure, fliould the cultivation of this country ever be in contemplation. The general flruc- ture of it feems very favorable to fuch an attempt, as the mountains are neither llcep nor numerous ; nor do the rifing grounds form fuch hills as bid defiance to the plough, while they produce that fort of diverfity which is grateful to the eye, and not un])leafant to the traveller. This chalky earth was alfo found in the neighbourhood of a moorffh foil ; and, on a more minute examination, feemed much to refenible an earth defcribed in Cronfladt's Mineralogy at the bottom of his note fyj, page 21. It did not Ihew any figns of efrervcfccnce with acids, nor did it burn into lime; but, like the earth alluded to, contains a number of ftnall tranfparent crylhds. Thefe were vifd^le without a rnicrofcope ; and as, on applying the blow pip(', vitrification took place, it might probably be ufefully appropriated in making a fi)rt of porcelain. The flones we found were chiefly of coral, with a [cv black and brown pebbles, flate, quartz, two or three forts of granite, with fome fand flones, but none fceming to poffefs any metallic quality. The climate, if a judgment may be formed by fo fhort a vifit, feemed delightful : for though we contended with fome boiflerous weather on our approach to the coad, nothing Icls ought reafonably to have been ex- pettcd at the feafon of the vernal equinox, and breaking up of the win- ter. The gales we experienced in King George the Third's Sound, were not of fuch violence as to put veffcls at fea pafl their topfails; although whilU the s.w. wind continued a niofl violent fea broke with incredible fury on the exterior fliores. This however can eafily be imagined, when theextenfive uninterrupted range which the wind in that dire6tion has over the Indian ocean is taken into confideration : during the continuance of this •1.3 1 1.'