Geology.] 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
581 
abundance the calcareous concretions already mentioned; 
which seem there to consist in a great measure of the re- 
mains of recent shells, in considerable variety. The islands 
of this part of the shore have been described by MM. 
Peron and Freycinet and the coast to the south, down to 
Cape Leeuwin, the south-western extremity of New Holland, 
having been sufficiently examined by the French voyagers, 
was not surveyed by Captain King. 
Swan River, (Riviere des Cygnes,) upon this part of the 
coast, latitude 31° 25' to 32°, was examined by the French 
expedition, to the distance of about twenty leagues from its 
mouth ; and found still to contain salt water. The rock in 
its neighbourhood consisted altogether of sandy and calcare- 
ous incrustations, in horizontal beds, enclosing, it is stated, 
shells, and the roots and even trunks of trees. Between 
this river and Cape Peron, a “ great bay ” was left unex- 
plored f. 
The prominent mass of land, which stands out from the 
main, between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and runs 
nearly on the meridian for more than fifty miles, seems to 
have a base of granite, which, at Cape Naturaliste, is said to 
be stratified J. The same rock also occurs, among Captain 
King’s specimens, from Bald-head in King George’s Sound ; 
but nearly on the summit of that hill, which is about five hun- 
dred feet high, were found the ramified calcareous concre- 
tions, erroneously considered as corals by Vancouver and 
others § ; but which appear, from Captain King’s specimens, 
* Peron, vol. ii. p. 168, ^c. 
t Peron, vol. i. p. 179. Freycinet, p. 5. 170. 
^ Peron, vol. i. p. 69. 
§ Vancouver, i. 49. D’Entrecasteaux, ii. 175. Freycinet, 105. 
Flinders, i. 63. — -See the detailed descriptions, hereafter, p. 621-2 ; 
and Captain King's Narrative, vol. i. p, 12. 
