378 JOUKNEY OF DISCOVERY INTO 



form part of an extensive cTiaiu, which occupy the lowest level in a 

 wide valley, formed by the northern slope of the sea-coast hills. These 

 hills are of a limestone and sandy formation, and probably hold up 

 much of the drainage on its way to the sea, as fresh water is always to 

 be found among the sand-hills of the sea-coast abreast, by scraping a 

 small hole in the sand. 



Before proceeding further westward, I made one more visit to the 

 neighbouring sea-coast, for the purpose of examining its formation, 

 being greatly prompted to this step by the alarming illness of one of 

 our best pack-horses (Smiler), who lay stretched out on his side be- 

 yond our power of relief, for in the first place we could not decide with 

 certainty what was the matter with him, and in the second, we had no 

 horse medicines with us. Leaving him under the safest treatment we 

 could devise, we proceeded, mounted, to the beach, as far eastward as 

 the " Smooth Eocks," lying westward of Cape Knob. Here a steep 

 granite head projected southward towards the Eocks, and from its sum- 

 mit I observed a small dry rock, not laid down in any existing chart, 

 about half-way between Smooth Rocks and the nearest trend of Cape 

 Knob, or about two miles and a half from each. The sea appeared 

 perfectly clear and deep all round it, and from its lying low, and being 

 apparently not larger than a large boat, would be dangerous to a vessel 

 making free with the shore in the night. At this rocky head I had 

 again an opportunity of observing the reujarkable geological formation 

 which had been so conspicuous in the northern part of Bremer Bay, 

 and noticed that, while the head itself was composed of hard compact 

 granite, it was overlaid on the western side by brown calcareous sand- 

 stone, adhering to it with the tenacity of a strong cement, and mixed 

 with many petrified roots. Horizontal cliffs of the same kind of sand- 

 stone extended behind the beach westward. 



Eeturning westward along the beach, it was found to be fronted by 

 a ledge of flat rocks, even with the water's edge, against which the 

 sea broke heavily during a fresh S.E. wind, and created occasionally a 

 smooth shelter within for boats. In this limited space of 20 to 60 

 yards wide, and 6 to 10 feet deep, shoals of fine salmon were swim- 

 ming about, but would take no bait, 



A little further westward the route lay across one of those extensive 

 sheets of bare sand prevalent on all sea-coasts, where the low white 

 sand is kept so continually in motion by peculiar eddies of the prevail- 



