E A R T H A N D LANDS. 



The hills of Sierra del Fuego, Staten Landy South Georgia, and 

 *S'^;Ww/V/6X^;2^areconftantly covered with fnowj however, in the two 

 firft only the fummits of the hills had fnow, but in the latter the 



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fnow and ice reached in moil places to the very edge of the fea, in 

 the midfl of their fummer; which certainly proves the extreme 



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rigour of the climate, as the line of eternal fnow comes down fo low. 

 What is ftill more remarkable, this happened in ifles furrounded by 



the moifl and therefore mild fea 



which undoubtedly weaken 



the intenfenefs of the froft, and commonly mitigates the rigour of 



the climate^ 



The mountain in the middle of the great peninfula of O-Taheitee 

 or of Tobreonoo, is as far as I can form any idea, the highefl of all 

 the mountains in the Tropical liles : it is in fome places of an eafy 



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and gentle flope, and interfe(^ed by numerous and very deep val- 

 leys, converging towards the middle of the ille, where its fummits 

 are to be met with. The highefl: point of this hill is at a very jufl 

 eftimate, about feven miles from Point Venus. According to 

 Captain Cook's map, it feems to be nine miles diftant from thence; 

 but as I have been twice up to this hill, I rather think the diftance 

 in the map to be too great; and the more fo, as the valley, wherein 



Matava 



fcaiTcely extends 



very extremity to mor 



than fix miles, and this valley is almoil at the fame diflance from the 

 lea, with the highefl part of the hill. Mr. Wales our Aflronomer 



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33 



U O U N - 

 TAINS, 



took 



