I t appeared, that when the people of the Sydney-cove firft came
upon the ifland, the pieces of dead branches that at this time were
lying round the ftumps, then formed, with them, the Item and
branches of dead trees complete, But by the time Mr. Bafs vi-
fited the place, the hands o f curiofity, and the frolics o f an unruly
horfe that was fayed from the wreck, had reduced them to the
ftate already defcribed.
Mr. Bafs had been told from good authority, that when the trees
were in a complete ftate, the diameter of the dead wood of the ftem
that rofe immediately from the ftoney part was equal to the diameter
o f that pa r t and alfo that a living leaf was feen upon the upper-
moft branches o f one o f them. But he could never learn whether
the ftoney part o f the ftem was o f an equal height in all the
trees.
T o afcertain to what depth the petrification had extended, Mr.
Bafs fcratched away the fand from the foot o f many o f the ftumps,
and in no inftance found it to have proceeded more than three
or four inches beneath the furface o f the fand, as it then la y ; for
at that depth the brown and crumbling remains o f the root came
into view. There were, indeed, parts o f the roots which had undergone
an alteration fimilar to that which had taken place in the
ftems: but thefe tended to eftablifh the limits o f the petrifying
power; for they had felt it only either at their firft outfet from the
bottom o f the ftems, or when, being obftru&ed in their progrefs,
they had o f neceflity arched upwards toward the furface.
In attempting to account for the cauie that had operated to produce
this change in the ft ru Chare o f the lower parts o f the ftems of
thefe trees, Mr. Bafs feels the utmoft diffidence» ,He found that all
his conjectures which were belt fupported by exifting faCts, led
him to place them among petrifactions; although no ftriCt ana-
logy could be feen between them and the fubjeCts ufually met with
of this kind.
Admit-
1 5 1
Admitting them, however, as petrifactions, it is certain that there
muft once have exifted a pond in which the petrifying water was
contained ; but the ground in their neighbourhood retained no po-
fitive traces o f any fueh receptacle. There were, indeed, near them,
fome few lumps or banks confifting o f fand, and a little vegetable earth
which was held together by dead roots o f iinall trees, and elevated
abqve the reft o f the ground, to the height o f five, fix, or eight feet;
but the relative pofition o f thefe with each other was fo confufed and
irregular, that nothing but the neceflity of a once exifting refervoir
could ever lead any one to conjecture that thefe might have heen
parts o f its bank. Mr. Bafs, however, rather concluded that this
muft have been the cafe, and that the remainder o f the hank had
been torn away, and the pond itfelf annihilated by fome violent effort
o f an unknown power.
Notwithftanding the narrow limits o f the ifland, abundance o f fmall
kangooroos were found to inhabit its brufhy parts ; butfo many had
been deftroyed by the people of the Sydney-cove, that they had now
become fcarce.
The footy petrel had appropriated a certain grafiy part of the
ifland to herfelf, and retained her pofitioa with a degree of obfti-
nacy not eafily to be overcome. For although it fo happened,
that the ftore-houfe for the wrecked cargo was ereCted upon the
fpot, and the people for more than a year drew the favourite part
o f their food from thefe birds, and were befides continually walking
over their habitations, yet at the end of that time the return-
ing flights in the evening were as numerous as they had been ob-
ferved to be upon their firft arrival.
When Mr. Hamilton, the commander o f the Sydney-cove, quitted
the houfe, he left two hens fitting upon their eggs, fome breeding
pigeons, and a bag of rice; but no traces were now to be dif-
eovered either o f the birds or their food. It is probable, that fo
long as this little colony continued within doors, it did well; but
8 that,