THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD 



559 



consisted entirely of basalt, at some points showing a 

 marked columnar structure, and projected in the middle 

 of the glacier, at a height which I estimated at 600 or 

 700 feet above the sea. Unfortunately, there was no 



A STRANGE ROCK OF BASALT 



time to measure its elevation exactly. At two points on 

 the surface of the basalt there was a layer consisting of 

 innumerable fragments of sandstone. In almost every 

 one of these impressions were to be found, for the most 

 part, of the needles and leaves of pine-trees, but also of 

 small fern-leaves. We picked up as many of these treas- 

 ures as we could carry, and returned that evening heavily 

 laden and in hio'h contentment. On a snow-shoe excur- 



