NEW SOUTH WALES. 167 



1616 by Schouten and Le Maire. Its highest point is two thousand 

 five hundred feet above the sea ; on its northern side many rocks are 

 visible, and the whole surface appears bold and precipitous, affording, 

 as far as we could perceive, little soil for cultivation. Cocoa-palms 

 in considerable numbers, were, however, observed upon a low point 

 projecting from its southern side. 



This island is inhabited, and I have been informed that an un- 

 successful attempt to establish a mission upon it was made by the 

 Catholics in 1840. 



Taking our departure from Hoorn Island, we made all sail to the 

 southward, passing about sixty miles to the westward of the Feejee 

 Group, which was to be afterwards a subject of close examination. 

 On crossing the meridian of 180° we dropped the 14th of November, 

 in order to make our time correspond to that of the Eastern Hemi- 

 sphere, to which our operations were for some months to be confined. 



On the 18th we saw Matthews' Rock, whose height we ascertained 

 to be one thousand one hundred and eighty-six feet. It is of a 

 conical shape, about a mile in circumference, and principally com- 

 posed of conglomerate. A dike of basalt was observed occupying 

 about a third of the width of the island. In order to obtain speci- 

 mens, a boat was despatched to endeavour to effect a landing : the 

 undertaking proved difficult, but was accomplished by Dr. Fox and 

 Midshipman Henry, who swam through the surf. They brought off 

 some specimens of porphyritic rock, and a few small crystals of 

 selenite. Patches were seen on the northern side of the island ap- 

 pearing as if covered with sulphur. As has been so often mentioned 

 in speaking of other uninhabited islands, great numbers of birds were 

 seen upon and around it. This island is in latitude 22° 27' S., longi- 

 tude 172° 10' 33" E. 



For several days preceding the 18th, a current had been perceived 

 setting southwest ; it was tried here, and found to set in that direction 

 at the rate of three fathoms per hour. The wind began here to haul 

 to the northward and eastward. 



We had the misfortune on this day to lose one of our Six's ther- 

 mometers, after having made a cast of two hundred fathoms with it. 

 The difference between the temperature at the surface and at that 

 depth, was 14°, the former being 76°. The following day (19th), a 

 cast of six hundred fathoms was made by the Peacock. The tem- 

 perature below was 50°, while that at the surface was 73°. 



On the 24th we had a remarkably severe storm of thunder and 



