wildeft affemblage of colouring. The Earl of Wandesford had one of them fawn into a flab, and it is as beautiful as a Moco. When I tried thefe petrefactions with an acid, the effervescence was exceffive frong; and as the earth all round is calcareous, and the stones limeftone, I humbly apprehend the iciele figures impending from the roof, and thefe knobs, are thus formed: The rains that fall on the hill over this cavern, oozing through an okery calcareous earth, and the limestone roof, imbibe or diffolve their fine particles in their defcent; and, as this mixture can only filter through the rock exceedingly flowly, the water hanging on the roof is foon diffolved by the air, and the ftony particles are left behind. Hence are formed the icicle-fhaped cones that hang from the roof: thefe, growing perpetually longer, have in many parts of the cave met the knobs from the bottom, and formed a number of fantastic appearances, like the pillars of a Gothic cathedral, organs, croffes, &c. When the rain filters pretty faft through the roof, it falls on the rocks below, and grows there into knobs and cones, whofe vertexes point to those that impend from the roof.

A fpectator, viewing thefe, cannot but conceive himself in the mouth of a huge, wild beaft, with ten thousand teeth above his head, and as many under his feet. The fcene is indeed both pleafing and awful; the candles burning dim, from the moisture in the air, just ferved to fhew a fpangled roof perpetually varnished with water, in fome places upwards of 20 yards high; in other places we crawled on all four, through cells that will

but admit one at a time. After having fcrambled about 500 yards into this (which I will beg leave to call the right-hand part of the cave) we returned to day-light, and then proceeded to view the lefthand part. Here, as our guides informed us, there were many dif. ferent branches of the cavern, we tied one ball of pack-thread to another, as we went forward, that we might more eafily find our way back. This branch is not fo horizontal as the other; it inclines downwards, and the openings in it are vaftly wider, fome being at leaft 100 yards wide, and above 50 high. A fmall rill accompanied us, which, by its different falls, formed a fort of rude harmony, well fuited to the place. In a standing part of this brook, and near a quarter of a mile from the entrance, we found the bones of a hundred at leaft of the human race: fome were very large, but when taken out of the water, they crumbled away. As we could find nothing like an infcription, or earth for a burying- place, we conjectured that fome of the civil wars, perhaps that of 1641, might have driven the owners of thefe bones into this place. The tradition of the neighbourhood threw no light upon it.

Many of the rocks on the roof and fides of this cavern are black marble, full of white fpots of a fhell-like figure; and the whole neighbourhood is full of quarries of this beautiful stone, which takes a fine polish, and is ufed through the three kingdoms for flabs, chimney - pieces, &c. I obferved, in fome deep and wet parts of these quarries, this clegant foffil in the first ftages of its formation; the

fhells

fhells are real, but fo foftened by time and their moist fituation, as to be fufceptible of receiving the ftony particles into their pores, by whofe cohefive quality, they in time become thofe hard white curls that give value to the marble: and it is very remarkable, and a proof that these white fpots have been real fhells, and thus formed, that the longer a chimney-piece or ab is used, the more of thofe fpots ripen into view.

I have taken many more notes of the natural curiofities in this kingdom, which I fhall be happy to communicate to your refpectable fociety, if you think the fubjects of fufficient importance: and am,

With great refpe&t,

SIR,

Your most obedient, humble fervant,

ADAM WALKER.

Of the dreadful Effects of Cold in the Streights of Le Maire; from Lieutenant Cook's Voyage round the World.

N the 16th of January, early in the morning, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with their attendants and fervants, and two feamen to affift in carrying the baggage, accompanied by Mr. Monkhoufe the furgeon, and Mr. Green the aftronomer, fet out from the ship, with a view to penetrate as far as they could into the country, and return at night. The hills, when viewed at a diftance, feemed to be partly a wood, partly a plain, and above them a bare rock. Mr. Banks hoped to get through the

wood, and made no doubt, bat that beyond it he fhould, in a country which no botanist had ever yet vifited, find alpine plants, which would abundantly compenfate his labour. They entered the wood at a fmall fandy beach, a little to the weftward of the watering-place, and continued to afcend the hill, through the pathlefs wilderness, till three o'clock, before they got a near view of the places which they intended to vifit. Soon after they reached what they had taken for a plain: but, to their great disappointment, found it a fwamp, covered with low bushes of birch, about three feet high, interwoven with each other, and so stubborn that they could not be bent out of the way; it was therefore neceffary to lift the leg over them, which at every step was buried ancle deep in the foil. To aggravate the pain and difficulty of fuch travelling, the weather, which hitherto had been very fine, much like one of our bright days in May, became gloomy and cold; with fudden blafts of a moft piercing wind, accompanied with fnow. They pufhed forward, however, in good fpirits, notwithstanding their fatigue, hoping the worst of the way was paft, and that the bare rock which they had feen from the tops of the lower hills was not more than a mile before them; but when they had got about two-thirds over this woody fwamp, Mr. Buchan, one of Mr. Banks's draughtsmen, was unhappily feized with a fit. This made it neceffary for the whole company to halt, and as it was impoffi ble that he fhould go any further, a fire was kindled, and those who were moft fatigued were left behind to take care of him. Mr. Banks,

Dr.

Dr. Solander, Mr. Green, and Mr. Monkhouse went on, and in a fhort time reached the fummit. As botanists, their expectations were here abundantly gratified; for they found a great variety of plants, which, with refpect to the alpine plants in Europe, are exactly what thofe plants are with refpect to fuch as grow in the plain.

The cold was now become more fevere, and the fnow-blafts more frequent: the day alfo was fo far fpent, that it was found impoffible to get back to the ship before the next morning: to pass the night upon fuch a mountain, in fuch a climate, was not only comfort lefs, but dreadful: it was impoffible however to be avoided, and they were to provide for it as well as they could.

Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, while they were improving an opportunity which they had with fo much danger and difficulty procured, by gathering the plants which they found upon the mountain, fent Mr.Green and Mr. Monkhouse back to Mr. Buchan and the people that were with him, with directions to bring them to a hill, which they thought lay in a better rout for returning to the wood, and which was therefore appointed as a general rendezvous. It was propofed, that from this hill they should pufh through the swamp, which feemed by the new rout not to be more than half a mile over, into the fhelter of the wood, and there build their wigwam, and make a fire: this, as their way was all down hill, it feemed eafy to accomplish. Their whole company affembled at the rendezvous, and, though pinched with the cold, were in health and fpirits, Mr. Buchan himself having VOL. XVI.

recovered his ftrength in a much greater degree than could have been expected. It was now near eight o'clock in the evening, but still good day light, and they fet forward for the nearest valley, Mr. Banks himfelf undertaking to bring up the rear, and fee that no ftraggler was left behind this may perhaps be thought a fuperfluous caution, but it will foon appear to be otherwife. Dr. Solander, who had more than once croffed the mountains which divide Sweden from Norway, well knew that extreme cold, efpecially when joined with fatigue, produces a torpor and fleepinefs that are almoft irrefiftible: he therefore conjured the company to keep moving, whatever pain it might coft them, and whatever relief they might be promised by an inclination to reft: Whoever fits down, fays he, will fleep; and whoever fleeps, will wake no more. Thus at once admonished and alarmed, they set forward; but while they were still upon the naked rock, and before they had got among the bushes, the cold became fuddenly fo intenfe, as to produce the effects that had been molt dreaded. Dr. So lander himself was the first who found the inclination, againft which he had warned others, irrefiftible: and infifted upon being fuffered to lie down. Mr. Banks intreated and remonftrated in vain, down he lay upon the ground, though it was covered with fnow; and it was with great difficulty that his friend kept him from fleeping. Richmond alfo, one of the black fervants, began to linger, having fuffered from the cold in the fame manner as the doctor. Mr. Banks, therefore fent five of the company, among whom was Mr. Bu

H

chan,

chan, forward to get a fire ready at the first convenient place they could find; and himself, with four others, remained with the doctor and Richmond, whom partly by perfuafion and entreaty, and partly by force, they brought on but when they had got through the greatest part of the birch and fwamp, they both declared they could go no farther. Mr. Banks had recourfe again to entreaty and expoftulation, but they produced no effect: when Richmond was told, that if he did not go on he would in a fhort time be frozen to death: he antwered, That he defired nothing but to lie down and die: the doctor did not fo explicitly renounce his life; he faid he was willing to go on, but that he must first take fome fleep, though he had before told the company that to fleep was to perifh. Mr. Banks and the reft found it impoffible to carry them, and there being no remedy, they were both fuffered to fit down, being partly fupported by the bushes, and in a few minutes they fell into a profound fleep: foon after, fome of the people who had been fent forward, returned, with the welcome news that a fire was kindled about a quarter of a mile farther on the way. Mr. Banks then endeavoured to wake Dr. Solander, and happily fucceeded but though he had not flept five minutes, he had almost loft the ufe of his limbs, and the mufcles were fo fhrunk that his fhoes fell from his feet; he confented to go forward with fuch affiftance as could be given him, but no attempts to relieve poor Richmond were fuccefsful. It being found impoffible to make him ftir, after fome time had been loft in

the attempt, Mr. Banks left his other black fervant and a feaman, who feemed to have fuffered leat by the cold, to look after him; promifing, that as foon as two o. thers fhould be fufficiently warmed, they fhould be relieved. Mr. Banks, with much difficulty, at length got the doctor to the fire; and foon after fent two of the people who had been refreshed, in hopes that, with the affiftance of thofe who had been left behind, they would be able to bring Richmond, even though it should ftill be found impoffible to wake him. In about half an hour, however, they had the mortification to fee these two men return alone; they said that they had been all round the place to which they had been directed, but could neither find Richmond nor those who had been left with him; and that though they had fhouted many times, no voice had replied. This was matter of equal furprife and concern, particularly to Mr. Banks, who, while he was wondering how it could happen, miffed a bottle of rum, the company's whole ftock, which they now concluded to be in the knapsack of one of the abfentees. It was conjectured, that with this Richmond had been rouzed by the two perfons who had been left with him, and that, having perhaps drank too freely of it themselves, they had all rambled from the place where they had been left, in fearch of the fire, inftead of waiting for those who should have been their affistants and guides. Another fall of fnow now came on, and continued inceffantly for two hours, so that all hopes of feeing them again, at leaft alive, were given up; but about twelve o'clock, to the great

joy