DIRK GERRITZ ARCHIPELAGO. 



179 



a perpendicular barrier. Unfortunately D'Urville did not 

 approach sufficiently near to the coast to observe the 

 details of the glaciation, which doubtless exhibits many 

 marked disturbances in consequence of the steep descent 

 of the ice. The remarkably numerous dunes by which 

 the coast is surrounded are more or less free from snow ; 

 so is Astrolabe Island fourteen miles off. As little is 

 known of the geological structure of this part of Louis- 



Mount Haddington and Cape Gage (after Ross). 



Philippe Land as of the surface of the inland ice, since 

 D'Urville did not avail himself of the favourable oppor- 

 tunity of landing on Astrolabe Island ; neither did he 

 examine the rubble of the icebergs frequently bearing 

 debris, nor is the height of the ice rampart indicated, nor 

 the size of the freshly detached icebergs. The dull 

 thundering reports of apparently yielding ice barriers 

 were frequently heard, but no actual detachment was 

 ever observed. 



