

PROCEEDINGS, AUGUST. XXI 



chemical action takes place, it sometimes becomes perfectly crystalline, and 

 As if it had been originally in a state of liquefaction. At Breadalbane 

 they were seen in every possible stage. In no country in the world, so far 

 as he was aware, was there exhibited the remains of this vegetation in such 

 abundance in every stage as was to be found in Tasmania. 



Mr. Alfred J. Taylor said that judging from the remarks recently made 

 by Baron Nordensk'iold before the Koyal Swedish Society of Arts, it was 

 possible that the wood referred to might have been covered by basalt 

 "without being charred. The Baron's remarks were as follows : — " The 

 members of the Academy are aware of the fact that on several occasions I 

 have given reasons which tell against the supposition that the layers of 

 basalt have been formed through eruptions of glowing melted lava. Once 

 in Greenland I saw a phenomenon which, if it had been fully investigated, 

 would have been of great assistance in the solving of this question. 

 Namely, I once met with a thick ' nwja ' stream, which was slowly rolling 

 down a steep headland on the north-eastern coast of the Nuorsoak 

 Peninsula, and which seemed to come direct from the basalt mountains. I 

 had great difficulty in crossing this stream, which consisted of a sticky 

 substance. Only after returning home my attention was called to the fact 

 that this substance when hard might probably form the basaltic layers." 

 Prom these remarks it would be seen that the problem referring to the 

 formation of basalt had not been successfully settled, and that it was quite 

 possible for Mr. Wintle to have been perfectly right in the conclusions he 

 had arrived at with regard to the piece of wood under discussion. 



Rev. J. B. W. WooLLNOUtm said that when he was in Iceland, where 

 there was only one living tree, he not unfrequently came across partially 

 turned wood which had been exposed to great heat and overflows of lava, 

 which had been protected evidently by some surrounding substance which 

 had hindered the lava from influencing it as otherwise it would have done. 

 In some cases the wood was only slightly charred, and it seemed to have 

 lost almost completely its weight. When a piece was taken up in the hand 

 it seemed as if all the weight had been pressed out of it. One piece of 

 Wood to his knowledge had been under a very thick piece of lava. 



ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION". 



The following correspondence from the Hon. Secretary (Mr. A. C. 

 Macdonald) of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, was read 

 by the Secretary (Mr. A. Morton) :— 



" Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, 



" Society Rooms, 

 "Collins-street W., 



" Melbourne, July 30, 1890. 

 " Deab Sir, — I am directed by the Antarctic Committee to inform 

 you that at a meeting of the committee held at the Melbourne Obser- 

 vatory on the morning of Tuesday, the 29th July inst., the following 

 resolutions were passed : — 



1. " The Antarctic Committee learn with pleasure the magnificent 

 offer of Baron Oscar Dickson to defray one half the cost of an expedition 

 to explore the Antarctic region, provided that the other half, not 

 exceeding £5,000, be contributed by the Australasian colonies, Baron 

 Nordenski'old to take command of the expedition. This committee 

 cordially desires to accept the offer, and hereby resolves to appeal to 

 the general public throughout the Australasian colonies for subscriptions 

 towards the movement. 



2. "That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to the 

 Royal Societies of Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and 

 Queensland branches of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, 

 soliciting their co-operation. 



