THEPACIFICOCEAN. 3Jf 



melted. Thefe vallies are filled with pine-trees, which i?/^- 



^ ftl ay. 



grow down clofe to the entrance, but only to about half ' r- — ', 



way up the higher or middle part of the illand. The woody 

 part alfo begins, every where, immediately above the cliffs, 

 and is continued to the fame height with the former ; fo 

 that the ifland is covered, as it were, with a broad girdle of 

 wood, fprcad upon its fide, included between the top of the 

 cliffy ihore, and the higher parts in the centre. The trees, 

 however, are far from being of an uncommon growth ; 

 few appearing to be larger than one might grafp round 

 with his arms, and about forty or fifty feet high ; fo that 

 the only purpofe they could anfwer for fhipping, would be 

 to make top-gallant-malls, and other fmall things. How 

 far we may judge of the fize of the trees which grow on 

 the neighbouring continent, it may be difficult to deter- 

 mine. But it was obferved, that none larger than thofe we 

 faw growing, lay upon the beach amongll the drift wood. 

 The pine-trees feemed all of one fort ; and there was 

 neither the Canadian pine, nor cyprcfs to be feen. But there 

 were a few which appeared to be the alder, that were but 

 fmall, and had not yet fhot forth their leaves. Upon the 

 edges of the cliffs, and on fome floping ground, the furface 

 was covered with a kind of turf, about half a foot thick j 

 which feemed compofed of the common mofs; and the top, 

 or upper part of the ifland had almofl: the fame appearance 

 as to colour; but whatever covered it feemed to be thicker. 

 I found amongft the trees fome currant and hawberry 

 budies ; a fmall yellow-flowered violet ; and the leaves of 

 fome other plants not yet in flower, particularly one which 

 Mr. Anderfon fuppofed to be the heracleum of Linnosus, the 

 fweet herb, which Stellcr, who attended Beering, imagined 



tlie 

 7 



