LIZARD ISLAND. 107 



usual anchorag'e, off a sandy beach on its north- 

 western side. Lizard Island is conspicuous from a 

 distance, on account of its peak,* — the central part 

 of a mountainous ridg'e running across the island, 

 and dividing' it into two portions, of which the 

 eastern is hilly and the western low, and intersected 

 by small ridges of slight elevation. The island is 

 about 2^ miles in greatest diameter ; the rock is a 

 coarse grey granite, easily deeomposible. A large 

 grassy plain extends westward from the central 

 ridge, — a portion of this, half a mile from the beach, 

 densely covered with coarse grass and reeds and 

 scattered over with Pandanus trees, is usually a 

 marsh. At present it is dry, with a few pools of 

 fresh water, connected below with a mangrove 

 swamp opening upon the beach by a narrow creek. 

 Formerly boats could ascend this a little way, but 

 now the entrance dries across at low water, — nor 

 could the fresh water conveniently be conducted to 

 the beach by the hose and engine, as I had seen 

 done in the Fly in the month of May. Fortunately, 

 however, we found a small stream in a valley on the 

 northern corner of the island, which supplied our 

 wants. 



Although the dry barren nature of the soil— 



* Capt. Stanley's azimuth and altitude observations, taken at 

 two stations at the base, the distance between having been 

 measured by the micrometer, give its height as 1161 feet; and 

 Lieut. Dayman's barometrical measurement makes it 1151 feet, 

 above the sea level. 



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