152 SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
of its bare sandy summit, a contrasting brushy 
vegetation : from the sea, however, a very small 
part only of its extensive surface of sand can be 
perceived, the greater part being only observ- 
able from the commanding hillocks we had with 
much exertion arrived at. A calcareous rock 
(affording evidently a very considerable portion 
of pure lime) was seen in a decomposing state 
piercing the sandy surface of all parts of the 
ridge about Bald Head, which, however, is itself 
a pure granite; the dense low brushy wood in 
its vicinity is chiefly composed of the delicate 
hmchea^.'' 
In the evening we visited Seal Island, and 
killed five seals for the sake of their skins, which 
were serviceable for the rigging ; the boat’s crew 
also found some penguins, {aptenodytes mmor,) 
and a nest of iguanas. The bottle deposited 
here at our last visit in 1818 was found sus- 
pended where it had been left, and brought on 
board, when another memorandum was enclosed 
in it, containing a notification of our present 
visit, of the friendly and communicative disposi- 
tion of the natives, and a copy of the vocabulary 
of their language. 
On the 5th, in the afternoon, on our return to 
the vessel, after visiting the shore and landing 
* Cunningham MSS. 
