MARCH 1770 APPEARANCE OF MINERALS 219 



from the corresponding latitudes of South America, in all 

 human probability something very valuable might be found. 



10th. Blew fresh all day: we were carried round the 

 point, to the total destruction of our aerial fabric called 

 continent. 



1 3th. The rocks were very large, and had veins in them 

 filled with a whitish appearance different from what we saw 

 on the 9th. The sides of the hills appeared well wooded, 

 and the country in general as fertile as in so hilly a country 

 could be expected, but without the least signs of inhabitants. 



I4:tk. Stood along shore with a fine breeze, and passed 

 three or four places which had much the appearance of 

 harbours, much to my regret, as I wished to examine the 

 mineral appearance from which I had formed great hopes. 1 

 The country rose immediately from the sea-side in steep hills, 

 tolerably covered with wood ; behind these was another ridge 

 covered in many places with snow, which, from its pure white- 

 ness and smoothness in the morning, and the many cracks 

 and intervals that appeared among it at night, we conjectured 

 to be newly fallen. 



~L5th. The country to-day appeared covered with steep 

 hills, whose sides were but ill wooded, but on their tops 

 were large quantities of snow, especially on the sides looking 

 towards the south. We imagined that about noon we passed 

 by some considerable river ; the sea was almost covered with 

 leaves, small twigs, and blades of grass. 



IQtk. Much snow on the ridges of the high hills; two 

 were, however, seen on which was little or none, whatever 

 the cause of it might be I could not guess. They were quite 

 bare of trees or any kind of vegetables, and seemed to con- 

 sist of a mouldering soft stone of the colour of brick or light 

 red ochre. About noon the country near the sea changed 

 much for the better, appearing in broad valleys clothed with 

 prodigious fine woods, out of which came many fine streams 

 of water ; but, notwithstanding the beauty of the country, 

 there was not the smallest sign of inhabitants, nor, indeed, 



1 Tin abounds in Stewart Island, but Banks's observations are no evidence 

 of its presence. 



