MARCH 1770 APPEARANCE OF MINERALS 219 
from the corresponding latitudes of South America, in all 
human probability something very valuable might be found. 
10th. Blew fresh all day: we were carried round the 
point, to the total destruction of our aerial fabric called 
continent. 
13th. The rocks were very large, and had veins in them 
filled with a whitish appearance different from what we saw 
on the 9th. The sides of the hills appeared well wooded, 
and the country in general as fertile as in so hilly a country 
could be expected, but without the least signs of inhabitants. 
14th. Stood along shore with a fine breeze, and passed 
three or four places which had much the appearance of 
harbours, much to my regret, as I wished to examine the 
mineral appearance from which I had formed great hopes.’ 
The country rose immediately from the sea-side in steep hills, 
tolerably covered with wood; behind these was another ridge 
covered in many places with snow, which, from its pure white- 
ness and smoothness in the morning, and the many cracks 
and intervals that appeared among it at night, we conjectured 
to be newly fallen. 
15th. The country to-day appeared covered with steep 
hills, whose sides were but ill wooded, but on their tops 
were large quantities of snow, especially on the sides looking 
towards the south. We imagined that about noon we passed 
by some considerable river; the sea was almost covered with 
leaves, small twigs, and blades of grass. 
16th. Much snow on the ridges of the high hills; two 
were, however, seen on which was little or none, whatever 
the cause of it might be I could not guess. They were quite 
bare of trees or any kind of vegetables, and seemed to con- 
sist of a mouldering soft stone of the colour of brick or light 
red ochre. About noon the country near the sea changed 
much for the better, appearing in broad valleys clothed with 
prodigious fine woods, out of which came many fine streams 
of water; but, notwithstanding the beauty of the country, 
there was not the smallest sign of inhabitants, nor, indeed, 
1 Tin abounds in Stewart Island, but Banks’s observations are no evidence 
of its presence, 
