2/8 HISTORY OF 



like that of glass, and it scintillated on steel 

 being applied. Rust of iron was visible in se- 

 veral parts, the stone breaking in those parts 

 into plates; but where none of those m ark in gs 

 were seen, it broke with great difficulty. On 

 the first view, the stone looked like clay; but as 

 it produced fire with steel, there must have been 

 a large portion of flint in it. It appeared to 

 contain iron in rather a large quantity. 



Not a single swan was found upon the island, 

 notwithstanding the information given by the 

 European ; but several geese were breeding 

 there, and the sooty petrel possessed the grassy 

 parts. 



On the first of November, early in the morn- 

 ing, they left the Swan Isles, steering to the 

 Westward along shore. 



A column of smoke which arose some dis- 

 tance inland, was the only proof of its being 

 inhabited. 



At noon the latitude was 40° 44' 08", the 

 peak of Cape Barren Island then in sight. At 

 this time they were two miles to the Westward 

 of the small island, which was low and rocky, 

 lying about 2 miles and a half of a sharp, sandy 

 point, with which it was nearly joined by 

 some lumps of rock that almost closed up the 

 passage. 



The aspect of the low land here was less pleas- 

 ing, the mountains approaching nearer the sea, 

 and the country appearing to be more stocked 

 with wood. The coast seemed inclined to q. 

 southerly direction, and the Western extremity, 

 4 



