COEAL BEEFS. 375 



and life, extend even to the isles bordering this continent 

 within the Strait. But in the isles and land of New 

 Guinea, scarcely 50 miles distant, the wonderful change we 

 have just denoted comes suddenly over the scene, both as 

 respects vegetable and animal life; extending even to the 

 shells and echinodermata which lie upon the shores. 



The geology also of the coast and islands of Torres Strait 

 possesses much interest. These islands are evidently points 

 in the submerged prolongation of that great mountain-chain 

 which, rising from the Southern Ocean in Van Diemen's 

 Land, sinks again under the sea in Bass's Strait, with the 

 exception of a few island points left above the waters ; then 

 emerges in lofty masses at the S.E. extremity of New Hol- 

 land, forming the mountain group which Count Strzelecki 

 was the first to survey ; stretches along the whole eastern 

 side of this continent, a range of more than 1,600 miles; 

 at Cape York again sinks underneath the sea of Torres 

 Strait, reappearing at Mount Cornwallis on the New Guinea 

 coast, beyond which it is lost to our present knowledge.* 

 The axis of this great chain is composed of primitive rocks, 

 chiefly unstratified, flanked by Palaeozoic strata incumbent 

 on them, and mixed with rocks of eruptive character ; and 

 succeeding to these in order of time, certain detached coal 

 formations, and superficial beds representing the tertiary 

 formations of Europe. We infer from observations in the 

 work before us, that the same general character extends to 



* There would be wrong done in naming Count Strzelecki, without adverting 

 to the work on Australia by this very eminent traveller and naturalist. The five 

 years he passed in the country, during which time he travelled over 7,000 miles, 

 almost entirely on foot, were sedulously and successfully employed in studying 

 in all its parts the natural history of this singular region. The results, many 

 of them of high value, are embodied in the volume he published in 1845. They 

 include all that belongs to Physical Geography and Natural History in the 

 largest sense of the terms ; and much that is important also in regard to the 

 statistics of the Colonies at that time, and the condition of the Aborigines of 

 the country. 



