332 Mr Hardie's Observations on the 



the neighbouring hills. Where the quartz appears in its finest 

 form, the hills are much lower than the rest, and then they ra^ 

 ther deserve the name of irregularities of the surface, exhibiting, 

 as they do, smooth round swells which are, in many situations, 

 entirely destitute of soil. The white appearance of these, in the 

 distance, is exceedingly striking, presenting to the fancy a re- 

 semblance to the snow-covered plains of our native land. Be- 

 sides the above appearances, numerous mural precipices are seen 

 rising above the jungle which covers the slopes. The hills that 

 present this appearance are generally formed of the distinctly 

 stratified quartz, resting on a clay-slate of a less durable nature ; 

 and I particularly remarked that the slope of the hills, in the di- 

 rection in which the strata dip, is very often, almost entirely, 

 destitute of soil, and presents a bare and barren surface, from 

 which the rays of the sun are reflected with fearful intensity ; 

 whereas the other side, where the outgoings of the clay-slate are 

 observed, is covered with vegetation ; and the outgoings of the 

 quartz strata, rising immediately above, present the perpendicu- 

 lar face just mentioned. 



The serpentine is generally found in low situations ; the spe- 

 cimens which I procured having been thrown out in sinking a 

 well. 



The wild and rugged aspect of this country, might, at first 

 sight, perhaps lead us to suppose that it must, at various pe- 

 riods, have been subjected to violent convulsions of nature ; and 

 we are almost sorry when we discover that many of these ap- 

 pearances can be accounted for on ordinary principles. The 

 mind is naturally fond of the marvellous ; and when nature pre- 

 sents herself to us in her wildest forms, our imagination is apt 

 to lead us beyond the bounds which reason has prescribed. The 

 delusion is, however, a pleasant one ; and it is often difficult to 

 descend from the high position which our fancy has taken, to 

 the more common, though in truth not less marvellous, realities 

 of life. That violent revolutions have occurred here, as they 

 have done over the whole surface of the globe, there can be no 

 doubt. The deep and rugged ravines, which have obviously 

 not been worn down by the action of water, are sufficient to 

 prove this. The striking features of the country, however, 

 above described, depend on other causes. Not only must the 



