i68 



REMARKS 



O N 



THE 



VEGE- 

 TABLE 

 KINGDOM 



which, though in the fame latitude, appeared fo much more dread- 

 ful, that before we came clofe up with it, it was fufpeded to be 

 an illand of ice. The ihapes of its mountains are, perhaps, the 

 moll ragged and pointed on the globe -, they are covered with loads 



■ 



of fnow in the height of fummer, almoft to the water's edge ; 

 whilfl here and there, the fun fhining on points, which project into 



4 



the fea, leaves them naked, and fhews them craggy, black and difgull- 

 ful. We landed inPolTeffion-Bay, and found the whole Flora to con- 

 iiil of twofpecies of plants, one a new plant * peculiar to the Southern 

 hemifphere, the other a well-known grafs -, both which, by their ilarved 

 appearance and low ftature, denoted the wretchednefs of the country. 



However, as if nature meant to convince us of her 



pow 



of 



land 



producing fomething flill more wretched, we found 

 about four degrees to the Southward of this, apparently higher than 

 it, abfolutely covered with ice and fnow (fome detached rocks ex- 

 cepted) and in all probability incapable of producing a fmgle plant. 

 Wrapt in almoft continual fogs, we could only now and then have a 

 iight of it, and that only of its loweffc part, an immenfe volume of 

 clouds conftantly refting on the fummits of the mountains, as though 



■ 



the fight of all its horrors would be too tremendous for mortal eyes 

 to behold. The mind indeed, flill fhudders at the idea, and ea* 

 gerly turns from fo difguftjng an pbjed;,. 



I. NUM 



f Anciftruju, Fofter'i Nova Genera Plantartm, p. 3.. 4 



