12 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1818. 
Jan. 20 . 
rock. After leaving Seal Island, we landed on 
the sandy beach abreast of the anchorage; in 
doing this the boat Med, and the instruments 
were so wetted, that they were left on the beach 
to dry during our absence. Our ascent, from 
the hill being steep, and composed of a very 
loose drift sand, was difficult and fatiguing ; but 
the beautiful flowers and plants, with which 
the surface of the hill was strewed, repaid us 
for our toil. These being all new to Mr. 
Cunningham fully occupied his attention, whilst 
I remained upon the summit, from whence a 
good view was obtained of the Eclipse Isles, 
and Vancouver’s breakers, both of which are 
well laid down by Captain Flinders, whose 
correctness I had already many occasions to 
admire. An abundance of shells of the helix 
tribe ( helix bulimus) was found on the top 
and sides of the hill; and a calcareous sub- 
stance was observed protruding from the ground 
in every part, as noticed both by Vancou- 
ver and Flinders*; the former also found it 
on the bare sandy summit of Bald Head, 
and supposed it to be coral, a circumstance 
from which he inferred that the level of the 
ocean must have sunk. Similar substances 
* Vancouver, vol. I. p. 49. Flinders, vol. I. p. 63. 
