NEW SOUTH WALES. 265 



ground ; strata of which were deposited in fis- 

 sures formed in the bodies of the locks. 



Leaving Twofold Bay, they proceeded to the 

 Southward, and on the 17th, made a small clus- 

 ter of Islands, in latitude 38° 16"', which now 

 bears the name of Kent's Group. These arc six: 

 or seven in number, of various sizes. Their 

 height is considerable, and as irregular in figure 

 as can well be imagined. This group appears 

 formed of granite, which is imperfectly con- 

 cealed by long straggling dwarfish brush, and 

 some few still more diminutive trees. Nature 

 is either working slowly on these islands, or has 

 ceased to work on them, since a more deserted 

 place is no where to be met with. ; The birds 

 Seemed not to frequent them in their usual num- 

 bers. Indeed there was nothing to tempt the 

 explorers even to land. 



.Passing Kent's ( 1 roup, and standing to the 

 Southward, next morning Furneaux's Islands 

 were in sight, and on the following day they 

 anchored at Preservation Island, which is one 

 of them. These islands, from what was now 

 and before seen of them by Mr. Bass, appeared 

 to consist of two kinds, perfectly dissimilar in 

 figure, but alike in the materials they are formed 

 of. Both are of granite; but the one is low, 

 and rather level, with a soil of sand covered 

 with brush-wood and tufted grass: the other is 

 jhigh and rocky, and cut into a variety of peaks. 

 Some vegetable soil lies on these, and the vege- 

 tation is large; and trees of a tolerable size are 



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