OF LA PEROUSE* I9 



tains for a confiderable diftance, we faw a hori- 

 zontal (Iratum of pic-coal, the greateft thick- 

 nefs of which did not exceed a decimeter. We 

 obferved it to extend over a fpace of upwards 

 of three hundred meters. It refted upon free- 

 ftone, and was covered with a dark brown fchif- 

 tus. Thefe indications lead me to prefume, that 

 at a greater depth would be found an abundance 

 of excellent pit-coal. It is well known, that the 

 richeft mines of that combuftible are commonly- 

 found beneath free-ftone. 



The ruft with which I faw the water that 

 dropped from the rocks fbrongly coloured, was 

 the firft fign that apprized me that thefe moun- 

 tains contained iron ; but I prefcntly found 

 fome fine pieces of hematites, of a red copper 

 colour; and farther on an ochreous earth, of a 

 rather bright red. Tripela was likewife fcat- 

 tered, in little ifolated bits, in the middle of 

 the road that we were following: it had proba- 

 bly been detached from the upper flrata, which 

 could no longer be diftinguiHied, becaufe they 

 were concealed by large quantities of fallen earth. 



Several new fpecies of lobelia grew in the 

 clefts of the rocks, v/hich became more and 

 more deep: fome were perpendicular, and were 

 upwards of two hundred meters in height above 

 the level of the fea. Very recent marks of fal- 

 len fragments determined us to dired: our route 

 c 2 acrofs 



