230 
A USTRAL-AFRICAN ISLANDS 
^‘Eure” to the Kerguelen Isles. It appeared in those 
waters on the 3rd of January, 1893, hoisted the tricolour 
and took official possession of the group. 
The development of the coast-line is articulated out 
of all proportion, and fiords with precipitous terraces of 
cliff cut deep into the land, especially on the eastern 
side. The southern coast is also very jagged. Of the 
numerous harbours and bays we must name Christmas 
Harbour, lying at the extreme north. Near this is the 
Pointe de PArche, the name of which indicates that it 
is a remarkable natural phenomenon: a mass of basalt 
130 feet high rises sheer out of the water and is pierced 
in the manner of a mighty triumphal arch. There 
follow then Cumberland Bay, White Bay, Rhodes Bay, 
and Hillsborough Bay, and in the south the wide Royal 
Sound. The headlands which project furthest to the 
south are Cape Challenger and Cape Bourbon. 
The interior of the country is as yet quite unexplored, 
but we know that considerable mountains rise in the 
neighbourhood of the coast. The highest of these. 
Mount Ross, lies in the south and reaches the height ^ 
of 6120 ft. Mount Richard in the north has a height 
of 4000 ft.* and the great peninsula in the east con¬ 
tains Mount Crozier (3250 ft.) and Mount Hooker 
(2000 ft,). 
As the mountain-tops are covered for the whole year 
with glaciers or snow, descending to 1000 ft., the 
watering of the country is very abundant. The low 
land, from which rise bare rugged crags of dark basalt, 
is marshy, the country is traversed everywhere by flow¬ 
ing streams. Where the ground is level, pools and even 
extensive lakes collect; through the valleys flow rivers 
which are constantly nourished by the snows above. 
The geologic structure of the country exhibits volcanic 
rocks both of early and of recent origin. Basaltic 
columns rise in terraces from the coast. These are 
