VOL. LXVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 5 



6 feet round, sometimes less. From the surface oozes out a gum in round blebs, 

 of the smell and taste of balsam copaiva. The body of these hills is formed 

 within by a number of small substances, like the cones of pines. The outsi«ie 

 is crusted over with dark green small leaves, running into each other, and ce- 

 mented as if with glue. Mr. C. opened several, and found that no vermin 

 formed them, but there actually was a kind of vegetation: the wild cranberries 

 veo-etate when the seed is lodged on them. Fern abounds, but of a weaker sort 

 than that in Europe. They tried the furze seed, and it came up; but so weak 

 and poor that it would never increase or thrive. The season for sowing all kinds 

 of garden seeds is about 3 weeks later than directed in the spring or fall by Miller, 

 remembering to reverse his months, calling September, March, &c. ; but all 

 kind of culinary herbs and roots came to as great perfection as in England, and 

 in great plenty, only they were forced to shelter every bed in the garden, by a 

 good sod wall, from the s. w. and s. e. winds, as much as possible. 



The soil is in general boggy, barren, and rocky ; but affords good pasturage 

 in the vallies, and level spots for sheep and goats, and would for cattle, which 

 might be out all winter; for that season is more remarkable for its mildness than 

 in the same degree of northern latitude. The summer is as remarkably cold, 

 and both proceeds from the prevailing winds; in the winter the n. and n. e. winds 

 are frequent, which brings warm, mild, moist weather. In the summer, the s. 

 and s. w. and s. e prevails, which are cold, sharp, and blighting; but in general, 

 throughout the year, there is very liitle difference in the weather, but mostly 

 cold. The thermometer scarcely ever exceeds 64" in the warmest days, and very 

 seldom in winter is below the freezing point, though Mr. C. observed it 20° be- 

 low freezing; but that did not continue long, nor does the snow continue in the 

 plains or vallies a week together, or frost last so long; but the weather in winter 

 is perpetually changing; on the hills the snow lies for Q months. 



There is a great plenty, and some variety of moss on all the islands, and most 

 of it when wet with water dyes of a brick-dust red. He tried it with other 

 liquids, but found it still the same. The coasts abounds with whales of the sper- 

 maceti kind; the islands with innumerable seals and sea-lions, from which a va- 

 luable fishery might be carried on. The passage out is 12 weeks: the same 

 home. Ships might be loaded with oil ready made in 6 or 8 weeks, and the 

 price of that article greatly reduced. 



f^J. Short and Easy Theorems for finding, in all cases, the Differences between 

 the Falues of Annuities payable Yearly, anri of the same Annuities payable 

 Half Yearly, Quarterly, or Momently. By the Rev. Richard Price, D. D., 

 F.R.S. p. log. 

 The values of annuities, as given in all the common tables, suppose them 



