GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. 579 
the granite from the greenstone and mica slate districts, is through- 
out thickly strewed with islands, which reduce the channel in 
some parts to a mile, and, in one place, to not more than fifty 
yards in width. Here, of course, the tide sets with great strength. 
Several vessels, however, have passed through it under sail; and 
one ship, a whaler belonging to Messrs. Enderby, working through 
the Strait, and finding much difficulty in passing to the westward, 
bore up, and, the wind being fair and the distance to sea only fifty 
miles, ranthrough it without accident. The land to the westward 
of the Barbara Channel is high and rugged ; and although in the 
vallies, ravines, and sheltered nooks, there is no want of vegeta- 
tion, yet, in comparison with the eastern part of the Strait, it has 
a very dismal and uninviting appearance. It was called by Sar- 
miento, ‘ Santa Ines Island’ ;* but Narborough called it, ‘ South 
Desolation ; it being,’ as he says, ‘ so desolate land to behold.’+ 
Clarence Island, which is fifty-two miles long and twenty-three 
broad, although equally rocky, is much more verdant in appear- 
ance. The uniform direction of the headlands of the north shore 
of the island is remarkable. Upon taking a set of angles with the 
theodolite placed upon the extremity of the west end of Bell Bay, 
opposite to Cape Holland, the most prominent points to the south- 
east, as far as could be seen, were all visible in the field of the 
telescope at the same bearing. The same thing occurred on the 
opposite shore of the Strait, where the projections of Cape Gallant, 
Cape Holland, and Cape Froward, are in the same line of bearing ; 
so that a parallel ruler placed on the map upon the projecting 
points of the south shore, extended across, will also touch the 
headlands of the opposite coast. 
The eastern island, which had been previously called, and of 
course retains on our chart the name of King Charles South 
Land, extends from the entrance of the Strait to the outlet of the 
Barbara and Cockburn Channels, at Cape Schomberg. The 
northern part partakes of the geological character of the eastern 
portion of the Strait. The centre is a continuation of the slate 
formation, which is evident at a glance, from the uniformity of the 
direction of the shores of Admiralty Sound, the Gabriel Channel, 
and all the bays and mountain ranges of Dawson Island. The 
south shore, or seaward coast line, is principally of greenstone, 
* Sarmiento, p. 180. + Narborough’s Voyage, p. 7% 
