214 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Oct. 



got six feet deep, the men could not stand the heat ; so we were 

 obliged to give up the attempt. It seems doubtful whether any cold 

 water could be procured, but we have no doubt that hot springs of 

 fresh water might be discovered, especially as the sea water at the 

 part where the hot springs issued, was only slightly brackish. 



Rocks. — The whole of the rocks of the Island seem igneous 

 basaltic rocks of different colours, of which several specimens have 

 been brought ; and the lava is composed of the same material as the 

 substrata of the Island ; the only difference that could be discovered 

 being caused by the action of fire. 



Vegetation. — No trees of any height were discovered, but the 

 slopes and ridges afford an abundance of shrubs and brushes, some of 

 them rising to the height of about twenty feet. We had no time to wan- 

 der into the wooded part of the Island, so that we were unable to 

 collect specimens of the shrubs, but after being accustomed to the one 

 tinted jungle of the Andamans, we were very much struck with the 

 beauty and variety of the foliage of the shrubs and brushes, the different 

 shades of green varying from a very dark almost black to a very pale 

 yellow, having a very fine effect when the setting sun shone upon 

 them. 



Animals. — The great scarcity of animal life on the Island was noted ; 

 no trace of any mammal was discovered, except a few Rats, which 

 some of those who slept on the Island saw, but were unable to catch. 



Birds were rare — a few Sea Gulls, Sea-hawks and Swallows 

 were seen, and one or two small birds were noticed perched on a 

 shrub, but we could not get near enough to see what they were. 

 Even amongst insects, the only ones seen were ants and moths. 



Cone. — Nearly the whole of our party attempted to ascend the 

 cone, the inclination of whose sides is about 40°, and it was with some 

 considerable difficulty that we were able to reach the top. The lower 

 part of the slope is loose ashes mixed with large stones, which rolled 

 down on being touched ; and these constitute the chief danger in tlie 

 ascent, as great care must be taken that they do not fall on any one 

 coming up behind. The north-west side of the cone was found to be 

 the easiest of ascent, and became easier as we got higher, the loose 

 ashes becoming less, and the stones becoming adherent by the lava 

 or gypsum poured between them. For the last 100 feet or more of 



