TKAXSACTIOKS OF SECTION D. 219 



volume of his splendid work, the "Flora Antarctica." At a 

 later date General Bolton visited the group, and added two or 

 three species. There is no record of their having been visited 

 by other botanists ; but in 1849 a whaling settlement under 

 Governor Enderby was formed at Port Eoss, and abandoned in 

 1852. The stumps of the felled ratas now afford the only 

 remaining indication of its former existence. 



The entire group is about thirty-three miles in length from 

 north to south, its greatest breadth being about fifteen miles, 

 near the southern extremity. In general outline the group 

 is roughly pear-shaped, the narrowest portion being at the 

 northern extremity. It consists of two lai'ge islands with 

 several small islands — Enderby Island, Eose Island, Ewing 

 Island, and others still smaller at the extreme north. 



Disappointment Island lies off the west coast of the main 

 island. Adams Island is the most southern member of the 

 group, and is separated from the main island by the strait 

 which forms Carnley Harboiir, the northern arm of which runs 

 some distance into the widest part of the main island. The 

 hills on the main island nowhere attain the height of 2,000ft., 

 and are for the most part below 1,500ft. Adams Island is 

 remarkably rugged and precipitous ; the highest parts probably 

 exceed 2,0b0ft. 



The western coast is steep and unbroken, but the eastern 

 coast is cut up into a number of deep bays or inlets, which 

 afford ready access to all parts of the island. 



In many places granite comes to the surface, but is 

 generally overlain with basaltic rocks, which in some places 

 are columnar. The whole is covered with a deep layer of peat, 

 which burns readily when dry. 



The small islands at the head of Port Eoss are mostly 

 covered with a scrubl:)y growth of Coprosma foetidissima, 

 Dracopliyllum longifoliwn, Metrosideros hicida, &c., which is 

 so extremely dense that it is difficult to force one's way 

 through. A notable exception occurs on Ewing Island, where 

 a number of grand specimens of Olearia lyallii attain the 

 height of nearly 30ft. : most of them are erect and well-grown, 

 but a few exhibit the inclined position so frequent on the 

 Snares. 



On the main island a dense belt of shrubs and small trees 

 ascends from the sea-level, usually running out at from 400ft. 

 to 700ft. according to position and exposure. The most im- 

 portant members of this are the rata {Metrosideros lucida), 

 Dracophyllum longifoliwn, Coprosma fcetidissima, Myrsine 

 divaricata, &c., which are often abundant; but in many 

 places the rata is the only tree ; it attains the extreme 

 height of 40ft., although in many cases the trunks are 

 short and distorted. The undergrowth was often restricted 



