The island has likewise every appearance of having undergone a volcanic revolution, as they found great quantities of burnt stone and pumice stone; and Mr.Anstis, who landed on the reef which shelters the west bay, at dead low water, found the whole a burnt up mass.
[* Ball's Pyramid.] The inhabitants of this island were all of the feathered tribe, and the chief of these was the ganet, of which there were prodigious numbers, and it should seem that this is the time of their incubation, the females being all on their nests: these are places simply hollowed in the sand, there not being a single quadruped that could be found upon the island to disturb them.

The people brought numbers of their eggs on board.

Very large pigeons were also met with in great plenty; likewise beautiful parrots and parroquets; a new species, apparently, of the coote, and also of the rail, and magpie; and a most beautiful small bird, brown, with a yellow breast and yellow on the wing; it seemed to be a species of humming bird: there was also a black bird, like a sheerwater, with a hooked bill, which burrows in the ground.

Numbers of ants were seen, which appeared the only insect at this place, except the common earth worm.

The soil is of a sandy nature, and fresh water extremely scarce in those places which they had an opportunity of examining.
This island is well covered with wood, the chief of which is the large and dwarf mangrove, the bamboo, and the cabbage tree.