BOSSEL ISLAND. 18G 



mountainous^ and thickly wooded^ with occasional 

 larg'e^ clear^ g'rassy patches. Towards the western 

 end the hills become lower and more detached^ hut 

 present the same features. The mountain ridg^es^ 

 one of which^ hut not the hig'hest elevation (which 

 was obscured by clouds)^ is 2522 feet in heiglit — 

 form sharp narrow crests and occasional peaks^ but 

 the outline is smooth and the rock nowhere exposed^ 

 even the steepest ridg*es being* covered with veg-eta- 

 tion. Some of the trees appeared to be of g-reat 

 dimensions^ others were tall and straight^ branching- 

 only near the top^ and many^ probably Melaleuca 

 leucodendrum — were conspicuous from the whiteness 

 of their trunks. Larg'e g-roves of cocoa-palms 

 scattered about from the water's edg-e to half way 

 up the hills^ formed a pleasing- break in the sombre 

 g-reen of the forest scenery. The shores are either 

 bordered with mang-roves with an occasional sandy 

 beach^ or clothed with the usual jungie of the 

 island. 



As Ave advanced to the westward the reef 

 g-radually extended out from the island with a short 

 space inside, and this appearance continued for 

 several miles^ until^ upon the land trending* away to 

 the south-west; the line of reef left it and ran out 

 to the westward as far as the eye could reach^ in an 

 apparently unbroken line of surf This is Eossel 

 Beef of the charts along- which we ran for* 35 



* It extends 17 miles beyond the westernmost point of 

 Rossel Island. 



