184

Feb. 19.^th [1833]

North of Wollaston island. — or 1^st isle

The part I landed on. was chiefly trappean rocks of several varieties. — all partially weathered. & one remarkable for the numbers of veins & nodules of opake quartz. — these veins were when large bothen drusy with hexagonal crystals of quartz: in most places the rock had a volcanic look.

from harder rounder & more crystalline masses being imbedded in decomposing base, resembling clay ∴ — in walking westerly came to 2 alternations of large beds of breccia. I only imagine think that the conglomerate dipped in a SE direction beneath the trap. — This conglomerate is most singular & so strongly resembles those in volcanic regions, that if the general feature &c did not disprove

184 verso

it (& the instances of how the trap various forms the trap assumes in Hardy Peninsula.

I should suspect the neighbourhead of a volcano. — As it is I presume it to be a curious instance of similarity between volcanic & trappean rocks:

The breccia contained some enormous angular fragments many yards in circumference. — generally cemented by an earthy soft base. — the constituents were chiefly cistless varieties of greenstone (some of them slaty) (a vesicular looking lava. — & an amygdaloid with carb of lime. & a bright red scorice, which latter was a [brident]:

The marki It is evident the breccia is of the trappean origin & not belonging to the slate & then cut through: —

185

On the beach were numerous boulders of crystalline rocks of the West, of

I was puzzled to account for them, when I saw on the next point (or rather island) a cliff of alluvium, precisely resembling those of Goree Sound &c.

As M^r Chaffers¹ states there is a large extent of it in the deep bay. — (This Bay is I find a passage between several islands & that on each side of these cliffs extend. —) & he mentions the boulders of crystalline rock: —

(NB on the first island there was a part of Guanaco skull, was it brought by the Indians or is it an inhabitant (?)

Diluvium

¹ Edward Main Chaffers, Purser of the Beagle.

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20^th February: [1833] —

2^d anchorage or central isle of Wollaston island: —

The whole formation (& probably high hills are greywacke, that is angular fragments of slate & greenstone, imbedded & blended in a semicrystalline base: the base becomes in places quite so & feldspathic. — Vide specimens from 1039 — 1042:

In other places there were small beds of sl a very compact slate.

The cleavage of the breccia some runs ESE & WNW. —rock hard with an angular cleavage: — hard sonorous.

Evidently part of the greater slate (rocky) formation & interesting from proximity to the supposed volcanic rocks: being the nearest mountain country to the eastward distance 9 7 miles: —

185A

Collect together — kelp shells — (from extreme S Fuegian hills)

Label: crust [illeg] Hermit
Porcellana do Pelagii color bright red. [note] of legs. & swimming

[arrange] Stick lice from albatross

Arrange insects & lichens from M: Video

Describe fish

Fistularia smooth

Dip of slate to N by E true

 

Goree Sound

Jan 16^th [1833]

The outer point & flat land composed of a flat bed of diluvium — is only flat land of Tierra. del. & sea now reducing it. — form of a compact bed about 60 feet thick greyish earthy clay — containing vast numbers of rounded stone of various sizes — some very large — they primarily consist of slate & greenstone of various sorts — of greywacke containing larje fragments. slate. — quartz. — porphyry — large feldspar — granite. white with black shel: rests on slate. covered with very thick bed

185A verso

bed of peat — luxuriant peat — not formed by the Sphagnum. — Extends some miles West of Goree Island & small similar looks pieces necks of (?) Bay. —

No signs of regular deposition or of any marine deposits: in places protected by a thick bed of shingle in other cut away by the sea: —

From the occurrence of crystalline rocks, the detritus must have come from the W: —