DESGBIPTION OF EACH ISLAND AND THE STB AITS. 63 



The Southern Brother is about 2^ miles long, and has an area of 

 3^ square miles. The principal peak of this island is on its western 

 side, and reaches a height of 2470 feet. It is an old volcano, 

 apparently long extinct. On its sea side is a hollow which looks 

 like the ruins of an old crater. The smaller peaks extend in a 

 north-easterly direction from the highest one. 



Except on its steepest parts, which are on the western side, the 

 whole island is overgrown with grass and mosses. There is no 

 timber or scrub. 



On its western point is a large rock resembling a lion coucliaut, 

 and a short distance above this is a rocky ledge frequented by 

 thousands of sea-lions. There is deep water close in to the land 

 nearly all round, but on its north side, in the small strait separating 

 the two islands, there is a high islet with a reef extending off it 

 for nearly a mile in a south-easterly direction. There is a depth of 

 water on this ledge of from 5 to 20 fathoms, with here and there a 

 rock above water and some awash. This reef is usually covered 

 with large beds of kelp. 



The strait between the two islands is about a mile wide, with 

 deep water throughout, with the exception of the ledge already 

 mentioned. 



The Northern Brother is 8^ miles long, and has an area of 

 about of square miles. It has three conspicuous conical peaks, the 

 northernmost being the oldest and highest. It is now extinct, and 

 a great part of the crater has fallen away on the north-western 

 side, leaving cliffs which are nearly perpendicular. The height of 

 this peak is 2o60 feet. Projecting from its southern slope there is 

 an active volcanic cone of less elevation, 2170 feet ; and again, 

 from the southern side of this latter, but a step lower, there is 

 another. Both these send forth steam, and the lower one is 

 occasionally in violent eruption. 



This island is almost bare of vegetation, the only bit of green to 

 be -seen being on its north-eastern point, which is covered with grass 

 and moss. Strewn around the foot of the volcanoes are masses of 

 black-looking rock, wliich from a distance appear not unlike trees. 

 As is usual with volcanoes, the upper slopes are covered with finer 

 materials, one effect of which is to make the upper part of the 

 mountain appear lighter in colour than the lower part. 



On the eastern tide of the north island there is a small bay 



