FERNANDO DO NORHONA. 77 



Accounts of St. Paul's Rocks are to be found in C. Darwin, " Journal 

 of Researches," 2 Ed., p. 8. "Volcanic Islands." Smith and Elder, 

 London, 1844, pp. 31, 32. Fitzroy, " Voyage of ' Adventure ' and ' Beagle.' " 

 Ross, "Voyage to the Antarctic and Southern Regions," Vol. I, pp.14-18 ; 

 with extracts from the Journal of Mr. M'Cormick, Surgeon to the 

 " Erebus." 



Island of Fernando do Norhona, September 1st and 2nd, 18*73. — 



The ship reached the island of Fernando do Norhona on Sep- 

 tember 1st The island is in lat. 3° 50' S., and is about 200 miles 

 distant from Cape San Eoque, the nearest point of South America. 

 The main island of Fernando do Norhona is about four miles in 

 length, and nowhere more than four and a-half broad, and the 

 length of the group formed by it and its outliers is seven 

 geographical miles. The main island is long and narrow, and 

 stretches about N.E. and S.W. 



At the eastern extremity is a series of islets known as 

 Platform Island, St. Michael's Mount, Booby Island, Egg Island, 

 and Rat Island. On the southern side of the main island are 

 several outlying rocks, one of which, called Les Clochers, or Grand 

 Pere, appears as a tall pinnacle with a rounded mass of rock 

 balanced on its summit. 



At about the middle of the northern coast of the main island 

 is a remarkable column-like mass of bare rock, which projects to 

 a height of 2,000 feet, and is known as the Peak. The south- 

 western extremity of the island runs out into a long narrow 

 promontory, which is composed of a narrow wall of rock. 



In this, at one spot near sea level, the sea has broken a 

 quadrangular opening through which the sea dashes in a 

 cascade. This opening, known as the " Hole in the Wall," is 

 visible from a considerable distance at sea. At the opposite 

 extremity the island terminates in a low sandy point with 

 sand dunes upon it, beyond which stretch out the outlying 

 islets already referred to. 



The Peak forms a most remarkable feature in the aspect of 

 the island as viewed from the sea, and appears to overhang 

 somewhat on one side. One other hill in the island is 300 feet 

 in height. The island is volcanic, but has evidently undergone 

 a vast amount of denudation, so as to obliterate all traces of the 

 centres of eruption. The Peak is composed of phonolith, or 



