,ff 7 99-] OT NEW SOUTH WALES. 46$ 



inches beneath the furface of the fand, as it then lay ; for at that depth 

 the brown and crumbling remains of the root came into view. There 

 were, indeed, parts of the roots which had undergone an alteration 

 fimilar to that which had taken place in the ftems : but thefe tended 

 to eftabliin the limits of the petrifying power ; for they had felt it 

 only either at their firft outfet from the bottom of the ftems, or when, 

 being obftruded in their progrefs, they had of neceflky arched up- 

 wards toward the furface. 



In attempting to account for the caufe that had operated to produce 

 this change in the ftru&ure of the lower parts of the ftems of thefe 

 trees, Mr. Bafs felt the tit mo ft diffidence. He found that all his 

 conjectures, which were bed fupported by exifting fads, led him to 

 place them among petrifactions ; although no ftrict analogy could be 

 feen between them and the fubjects ufually met with of this kind. 

 Admitting them, however, as petrifactions, it is certain that there 

 mu-ft once have exifted a pond in which the petrifying water was 

 contained ; but the ground in their neighbourhood retained no po- 

 sitive traces of any fuch receptacle. There were, indeed, near them, 

 fome few lumps or banks confiding of fand, and a little vegetable 

 earth which was held together by dead roots of fmall trees, and ele- 

 vated above the reft: of the ground, to the height of five, fix, or eight 

 feet ; but the relative pofition of thefe with each other was fo con- 

 futed and irregular, that nothing but the neceflity of a once exifting 

 refervoir could ever lead any one to conjedure that thefe might have 

 been parts of its bank. Mr. Bafs, however, rather concluded that this 

 mu ft have been the cafe, and that the remainder of the bank had 

 been torn away, and the pond itfelf annihilated by fome violent effort 

 of an unknown power. 



Notwithstanding the narrow limits of the ifland, abundance of 

 fmall kangooroos were found to inhabit its bufhy parts. There were 

 footy petrels, likewife, in great abundance. The water of this ifland 

 was thought to have been injurious to the health of the people of the 

 Sydney-Cove. It was fuppofed to contain -arfenic, which was highly 



3 0 .probable^ 



