LIZARD ISLAND. 107 



usual anchorag'e^ off a sandy beach on its north- 

 western side. Lizard Island is conspicuous from a 

 distance^ on account of its peak^* — the central part 

 of a mountainous ridg*e running* across the island^ 

 and dividing' it into two portions^ of which the 

 eastern is hilly and the western loW; and intersected 

 bv small ridofes of slio'ht elevation. The island is 

 about 2^ miles in greatest diameter ; the rock is a 

 coarse g'rey granite^ easily decomposible. A larg^e 

 grassy plain extends westward from the central 

 ridg*e^ — a portion of this^ half a mile from the beach^ 

 densely covered with coarse g-rass and reeds and 

 scattered over with Pandanus trees^ is usually a 

 marsh. At present it is dry^ with a few pools of 

 fresh water^ connected below Avith a mang-rove 

 swamp opening* upon the beach by a narrow creek. 

 Formerl}^ boats could ascend this a little way^ but 

 now the entrance dries across at low water^ — nor 

 could the fresh water conveniently be conducted to 

 the beach bv the hose and eup-ine, as I had seen 



t> 7 



done in the Fly in the month of May. Fortunately^ 

 however^ we found a small stream in a valley on the 

 northern corner of the island^ which supplied our 

 wants. 



Althoug-h the dry barren nature of the soil — 



* Capt. Stanley's azimuth and altitude observations, taken at 

 two stations at the base, the distance between having been 

 measured by the micrometer, give its height as 1 1 G 1 feet ; and 

 Lieut. Dayman's barometrical measurement makes it 1151 feet, 

 above the sea level. 



