

NEW SOUTH WALES. 267 



Upon the beach near this chalky rock, were 

 found a considerable quantity of black metallic 

 particles, which appeared in the granite as 

 black shining specks, and are undoubtedly 

 grains of tin. 



It excited much surprise to find this bed of 

 the remains of shell animals, of which djalk is 

 formed wherever found ; and Mr. Bass endea- 

 voured to investigate the cause of this deposit, 

 by examining the neighbouring parts ; on 

 which he was of opinion, that as traces of the sea, 

 and of the effects of running waters, were dis- 

 cernable in various parts of the island, and par- 

 ticularly in the vicinity of this deposit, it 

 seemed probable it had been formed by two 

 streams of the tide, which when the island was 

 beneath the surface of the sea, having swept 

 round a large lump of rock, then met and formed 

 an eddy, where every substance must fall to the 

 bottom. The lump of rocks is a rocky knowl, 

 M'hich runs from the opposite side of the island 

 nearly to the chalk. On each side is a gap, 

 through which the two streams have passed. 



The vegetation of the island seems starved; 

 consisting only of a few stunted trees; some 

 patches of brush- wood, almost impenetrable ; 

 tufts of sour wiry grass, and many low saltish 

 plants, principally of the creeping kind. 



A spot on the East end of the island exhi- 

 bited a phenomenon not easily explicable by 

 any laws of that class of natural history to 

 which it could be referribje. 



