LAND AND EARTH 



9 



of about two inches thicknefs. In the above-mentioned flrata of strata. 



talcous greyifh flone 



The 



phritic is feldom folid o? in larg 



pieces 



for the greateil fragments we faw, never exceeded twelve 

 or fifteen inches in breadth, and about two inches in thicknefs. 

 On the iliores we commonly met with a blueifh grey, argillaceous 

 Hate of a lamellated ilrudure, ealily crumbling to pieces, when ex- 

 pofed to the weather : fometimes this flate is more folid, ponderous, 

 and of a darker colour, probably on account of fome metallic 

 irony particles, which I fuppofe it to contain. The fragments of this - 

 flate fcattered on the beach our feamen call ffdhigle. We found in 

 Norfolk Island almoft the fame ftrata as in New Zeeland, and 

 alfo red and yellow fragments of a fpungy lava: this ifland likev/ife 

 contains the fame plants and birds, 



Easter Island has ftrongly the appearance of a land that has 



w 



lately undergone a great alteration by fire. All its rocks look black, 

 burnt and cavernous, refembling flags or drofs. .The foil is a red- 



I 



<iifli brown, dufly mould, as if it had been burnt, and might with 

 juflice be deemed a kind of Puzzolanay * fpread with innumerable 

 fragments Q,i t arras Jione, fome rocks which I faw were of a brown 



or reddifh ochreous volcanic tufa, -f* {fophis ttdaicami hinn.) full 



of caverns, and fome ferrugineous particles. Of this fubflance the 



D 2 



gigantick 



* See Ferler^stra'vds through Italy ^ tranflated by Mr. Rafpe, p. 150 

 f ?>c^ Ferher'^s travels :^^ 128, 







H ^ 



V ■ vY 



/ 



