BOOBY ISLAND. 135 



all porphyry, varying from a softish base, apparently 

 feldspathic, with small transparent quartz crystals, 

 to a hard siliceous base, with flesh-coloured crystals 

 of feldspar. I climbed Mount Adolphus, which is 

 nearly 500 feet high, but got only a partial view, 

 owing to the thick stunted wood that clothes its 

 sides and spreads over the flat plateau of it summit. 

 August 14. — After passing the narrow and dan- 

 gerous passage north of Wednesday Island, we hove 

 to off Booby Island, a small rocky islet, about 

 fifty feet high and a third of a mile in diame- 

 ter. It forms the western limit of all the dangerous 

 part of Torres Strait that lies in the ordinary track 

 of vessels, and it is usual, accordingly, for ships 

 passing through to call and leave a notification of 

 the fact. For this purpose a small shed had been 

 erected, under which was a box containing a blank 

 book, with pens and ink, and a bag of beef and 

 some biscuit, for any boat's crew escaping from a 

 wreck. We were rather amused by some of the 

 notices and messages left in this book, especially 

 by one or two from the fairer half of creation. One 

 lady left her kind love to any other lady that might 

 hereafter pass this way, and she would be most 

 happy to see her at her father's house, such a num- 

 ber, such a street, Bow Road, London. Another 

 lady begged her kind remembrance to any other 

 lady passing through. 



