NEW CALEDONIA. 327 



The soil as before appeared to be all red, and tlie configura- 

 tion of the country was pretty, though it appeared very 

 poor. There were many bare red places on the hills ; the 

 pines were liere also confined to certain spots ; tliey grew 

 high, and liad a peculiar appearance, from their branches 

 being short below and gradually increasing to the top, thus 

 presenting the reverse of that conical form we associate with 

 pines. The country looked very mountainous, but the 

 highest elevation which any mountain attained did nt)t 

 appear to exceed 3,000 or 4,000 feet. After passing Port 

 Goro, we went by two small bays or ports, and then came 

 to Good Cove, in Praslin Bay. 



We anchored at half-past six p.m., in twenty fathoms, in 

 the pretty bay of Praslin. There were .''pots on the hills of 

 a whitish apjicarance, like sulphur beds. The point of 

 Praslin Bay had a pretty clump of pines upon it, nearly 

 down to the water's edge, and still farther on were tlie 

 islands that formed the first part of Havannah Passage. 

 On the shores round Good Cove, the vegetation was very 

 sparse and of a very stunted appearance ; the woods were in 

 patches only, and the trees not large. A splendid sunset 

 added beauty to the scene, and the effect of the nine o'clock 

 gun was extremely fine, as it aroused echo after echo among 

 the hills. We saw no canoes, natives, nor houses, and very 

 few cocoa-nut trees. 



We remained the whole of the next day at tins capital 

 anchorage, the crew being busily engaged in setting the ship 

 to-rights. There were a good many small birds about on 



