272 Contributions to Physical Geography. 



ses the solid rock of sandstone, and thus formed continued 

 chasms. On a portion of the mountain, which exhibits an ap- 

 pearance of disruption similar to that where the fire is at pre- 

 sent in action, there are trees growing of considerable age, and 

 which must have sprung up since the period when the fire 

 raged over the ground on which they are situated, for every 

 tree that grew on the spot now burning, as well as on that 

 which has lately suffered from combustion, has been destroyed, 

 and the trunks of many are lyin^ on the surface half con- 

 sumed. I ascended the highest summit of the mountain, 

 which is above the present and more recent scene of desolation, 

 and found that its upper ridge and sides, to the extent per- 

 haps of 100 acres, had been, as it were steamed, many of the 

 stones upon it bearing the appearance of vitrification, and this 

 part of the mountain was covered with trees, many of which 

 are evidently of a great age. It is stated in Mr Mackie's ac- 

 count, that for about a mile and a-half downwards, there was 

 no appearance whatever, save a few sindered stumps, of ve- 

 getation going forward — not a patch, not a blade of grass ap- 

 peared to cheat the eye to the mouth of the crater for a mile 

 and a-half below ; all is wide, barren, and waste. At the pe- 

 riod of my visit there were both trees and grass within a few 

 feet of the portion of the mountain now on fire. Within a 

 few yards of this spot I could observe that the cast of a shell 

 in sandstone was picked up, and in a gully at the base of the 

 mountain I remarked the presence of black limestone, while 

 here and there were scattered over the side of the mountain 

 blocks of red sandstone and fragments of ironstone. I also 

 found, on my ascent, some small specimens of calcedony and 

 agate. 



" I have compared the phenomena presented by this mountain 

 with written descriptions of volcanic action and subterraneous 

 fire in other portions of the globe, but can discover no exact 

 similarity between them. The burning mountain of Austra- 

 lia may, I think, be pronounced as unique — one other example 

 of nature's sports — of her total disregard, in this country, of 

 those laws which the philosophers of the old world have since 

 assigned her. 



" Tq those who may be of opinion that coals form one of the 



