ght, and free from
branches, to 40, sometimes 60 feet, above the ground; they have
been by some thought fit for masts, for ships of any size; in
length and diameter they certainly are, but with respect to
quality they are, in my opinion, wholly unfit; even admitting
them to be found, which, from experience, I know is seldom the
case.

I employed the carpenters of the Sirius, while here, to cut
down a few sticks, which it was intended should be sent home by
the first opportunity, in order for trial in his Majesty's
dock-yards, to see if they were, as had been said, fit for his
Majesty's navy, or not. In providing a top-mast and a
top-sail-yard for a seventy-four gun ship, a thirty-two, a
twenty, or a sloop, and one rough spar, in all seven sticks, 34
trees were cut down, 27 of which were found defective. When these
trees were falling, it was observed that most of them discharged
a considerable quantity of clear water, which continued to flow
at every fresh cut of the axe; there is no turpentine in these
trees but what circulates between the bark and body of the tree,
and which is soluble in water. It is a very short grained and
spongy kind of timber, and I think fit only for house-building,
for which we know it to be very useful.

When fresh cut down, five out of six will sink in water, the
wood is so exceedingly heavy: and, if we suppose for a moment,
that great part of the pine timber were fit for naval purposes,
the great difficulty, and indeed I may say impossibility, of
getting it from the interior parts of the island to the sea,
would render it of little value, if designed for masts; but if
for plank, it could be cut up where fallen. Those which grow on
the south-east point of the island, where the land is low, are
those which have hitherto been made use of.

Norfolk Island, if correctly laid down in a plan, with all the
hills and vallies represented accurately, would very much
resemble the waves of the sea in a gale of wind; for it is
composed wholly of long, narrow, and very steep ridges of hills,
with deep gullies, which are as narrow at the bottom as the hills
are on the top, so that there is scarcely any level country upon
it; but as viewed from the sea, it appears quite level, the
different ridges being nearly the same in height.

Arthur's Vale, which is near the settlement, and the first
place which was cleared for cultivation, is a pretty spot of
level ground, and the most extensive flat yet cleared