234 



absorption. These pits are covered with gigantic Solatia^ 

 and a beautiful species of Brunonia. Fresh water may be 

 found in each of these islands by digging two feet deep. 

 The north side of the island is in many places covered with 

 extensive thickets of arborescent Metrosideros, and the soil 

 I found to be of a very fine brown loan), studded with 

 detached blocks of limestone, and susceptible of producing 

 any description of crop. In one of those thickets we sowed 

 various sorts of culinary seeds, and introduced several plants 

 of the Banana. 



The coast towards Port Cockburn is thickly studded with 

 cypress, the soil a light sand. Here we found abundance of 

 fresh water on the beach, as well as in cypress thickets 

 beyond the influence of the sea. My observations did not 

 extend beyond Port Cockburn, but from the appearance of 

 the country I doubt not its being of the same quality as that 

 already described. 



Between the isles of Berthollet and Buache is the entrance 

 for ships drawing more than sixteen feet water into Port 

 Cockburn. Vessels drawing less than sixteen feet can run 

 directly across the sound, from the entrance of Swan River 

 to Port Cochrane, Vessels of any burthen can proceed up 

 the sound to the entrance of the river, where there is good 

 anchorage, with plenty of room to beat out, should the wind 

 come to blow hard from the north-west. The sound is 

 locked in on all points, excepting from north to north-west. 



It is remarkable, that, on the shores of the sound at the 

 entrance of the river, there is not a perpendicular height ot 

 five feet from the line of low water to that of vegetation, a 



there is never any very heavy weather in the 

 sound. There is no surf, and boats may land on any part ot 

 the main. On the bar, at the entrance, there is only one 

 fathom of water, but that is always smooth. Port Cockburn 

 is distant only eight miles from it, where there is room tor 

 the largest fleet, with seven fathoms watpr within twenty 

 yards of the shore, and this perfectly land-locked. 



Proceeding from the mouth of the river along Bay Geo- 

 graphe, the appearance of the conntrvlsnarticularly pleasing- 



proof that 



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