B ALLEN Y ISLES. 209 



and is cone-shaped, but does not reach half the height 

 of Young Island, the largest and highest of the group, 

 which contains Mount Freeman, estimated by Balleny at 

 a height of 1 1,800 to 12,000 feet. Between the two last- 

 named larger islands lies Borrodaile Island, which is 

 smaller and less elevated, and, finally, farthest to the west 

 lies Row Island, which is low and exhibits no special 

 features. 



The surface appears completely glaciated, and it is only 

 at the coast that the steep cliffs show the rocky nature of 

 the islands ; their petrographic character is shown by the 

 specimens secured by Balleny after having effected a 

 dangerous landing ; the rock consists of dense, scori- 

 ated, olivine basalt, different from the basalt of the 

 Possession Isles, which contains no olivine. The 

 volcanic character of the islands, together with their 

 inconsiderable distance from the eastern extremity of 

 Wilkes Land, gives them a decisive character in the 

 estimation of the geological structure of these regions ; 

 and this becomes still more enhanced by the fact that Ross 

 sighted a second group of islands situated to the south-east 

 of these. In the " History of Discovery " we have pointed 

 out that the three Russell Islands, sighted by Ross, might 

 possibly be identical with the Balleny Isles, and further 

 investigation alone can settle this question. Russell Peak, 

 the highest of these islands, lies, according to Ross's 

 measurements in latitude 67 28' S. and longitude 165 

 30' E., which is i° further S. and 2 further E. than Buckle 

 Island, as measured by Balleny ; but as on the one hand 

 Balleny's observations are evidently very accurate, and 

 on the other hand Ross also had seen land due west 

 of the latitude observed by Balleny, it may be inferred 

 that the two groups are not identical. From this as- 

 sumption would follow the existence of a volcanic range, 

 extending from the south-east to the north-west, and thus 

 repeating the direction of the coast of Victoria Land from 



14 



