— I5T — 
I have already bad the honor t forwacdto Ihe Natura] History Society, specimens 
of diese and other birds, and of tho Lizards and Serpent speeies fouud on the place, 
Willi regard to «Round Island» it is nne of the mosl exlraor linary spols 1 have 
ever visited, and from its striking Formation and appearance, offers to the Geoiogists 
the uiost auiple means of investigation of the theories of the oldest period. 
Previous to offering my hunible renaarks on this imeresting subject, 1 will subjoin 
a short general desciiption of the Loa ad, which with the rough Sketches, I have the 
honor to forward lögether with a few specirneus of Ute prevailing rocks, will be sulfi- 
cient I trust, to convey soine idea of the place. 
«Round Island, » is situaled about 13 3 / 4 miles E. di. E. l / 2 E. of the Northern point 
of the Mam'ilU: , and nitho’ lakea oy all voyagers for au insignificant rock, only 
important us a sur ■■ ianti mark, is neverlheiess of very considembie area, and pos* 
sesses resources which mighi. be turned to very great advantage. 
Its greatest lengih from North to South is about a miie, and its breadth s / 4 of a rnile. 
Its general appearance vvhen seen at a disiance under the usual point of view, 
«erlainly mach belies it, and it has the rnost barren a pect, Standing out as a 
fruslum something elcngatetl at its S. E. extrenaily. 
The best indeed and almost the only landing place is to the Weslward and consists 
o( a projectiug rock oniy five feet above the ievel of the sea, toially unapproachafole 
with ixmch sea on. Another haz.irdons landing place is fouud to the S. Westward, 
opposiie a deep ravine which may, in preference be approached when the wind äs 
E. or N. E. with these two exceptions, a landing on t he Island cannot be atternpted j 
but in a dead calm, which seldom occurs, owiag to the rapidity of the currents and 
the sei of the sea, 
The form of the Island as well -as its surface is extremely irregulär; the suramit 
alone which is 1049 fest above the Ievel ofrhe sea, having any pretention to sniooth- 
ness, is crowned with three remäikabi’e biocks of basalt about 500 or 800 feet dislant 
from each other. 
From N. W. to S. W. the Idand slopes gradually from the suramit to within about 
300 feet from the sea, and is closely intersected by deep ravines which ra diäte Irom 
the summit and assurae the rnost curious and grotesque furms, increasing in dej th, 
varieiy and number lowards the sea, forming tunnels, caves and grottoes of the most 
romantic description. 
The whole Island to its very summit is composed of a soft, trachylie lava and 
tufaeeous breccia mixed up with volcanic sand, all in distinet strata, equa! in regu- 
jarity to ihe oldest sedünenlary rocks, on the seaworn surfaces, lo the very lop, and 
in the seciions of the ravines, are seen insulated masses of basalt, calcaneous con- 
glonaerate, lime stone and smaller houlders with crystals of olivine held in a calcaneous 
cemenl ; the ground being intersected in iines nearly parallel to tlie ravines with 
fi su res from one foot in widtii, to oniy the thickness of paper lided with «Travertin, » 
most of it of ihe colour and giain of «Gibraltar rock.» The sea sbore, under wliat- 
e\er aspecl it may be seen, is bald, scaled in steppes and ient thtoughout into vaults, 
eba-ms and gaps shewiog in all direclions over hanging rocks, spires, columns and 
pyramids, indicaiiog the tremendous convulsions ofnature; the strata in horizontal 
and Serpentine layers of various tints and colours, disciosing to the vvondering Geolo- 
gist, at each hour of the day, the rno« t striking chaoge in shape and beauty of 
sliadow on the rocks, sometiines lengthening, shorlening and mixing with one another, 
giving liardiy umelo admire one scene ol beauty and graudeur, betöre it is succeeded 
by another, ever varying, ever changing, until at last the fading light sheds one hue 
of the mosl brillant purple on the whole muss. 
The S E. extreinitv of the Island is covered with cindus glittering brightly with 
olivine and glassy feldspar and studded with small masses of lime stone of ihe purest 
white and of a rose coloured hue. This spot is separated from the other pari of the 
Island bv deep ravines, seine of which contain, in rainy weather, a few pools of 
brutkisli water, which quickly Gllers ihrough the porous rock. 
