small island on the southern coast of New Holland, and one of the groups called Furneaux Islands, derives its name from the circumstance of the crew of a ship which was wrecked on the coast, having saved their lives, and resided for some time upon it. This island is in most places extremely barren, and is remarkable for large blocks of granite scattered on its surface in many places. But one of the most singular phenomena in the history of this island was, the discovery of a petrified wood in the midst of a patch of naked land; and at least 100 feet above the level of the sea. Some of the stumps of the trees rose a foot and a half above the surface; some were furnished with branches, and even it is said a green leaf was seen on one of them when they were first discovered. The petrifications were found to be of a calcareous nature. We think it probable that the trees here said to be petrified may be of the nature of corals, may have been formed as usual at the bottom of the sea, and elevated to their present situation by some convulsion.

In some parts of the island a little vegetation was observed, with some brushwood and flinted trees. Small kangaroos were found in abundance, with different kinds of birds and some noxious snakes. Collins's Account of New South Wales, II.

Preserving Lives of Shipwrecked Persons. In our account of life-boats, we laid before our readers every thing that seemed likely on so important a subject which was then known to us. Since that time we have met with the following description of a similar invention by a Mr. Lukin of London, suggested during his casual residence at Lowestoft in Suffolk.

A boat constructed on this principle cannot be over-set or sunk by any power of wind and water, in proof of which the following particulars and description of the construction are made public, with the hope of rendering more generally known the easy means of saving many valuable lives; which might certainly be done, if one or two of these boats were built at each of our ports, and every ship furnished with one (at least) in proportion to her size.

Description and Dimensions of the Lowestoft Life-Boat.

| Length aloft | Feet | Inches | |-------------|------|--------| | Keel | | | | Breadth amidships | | | | Depth | | |

The form the same as the yawns of that coast; the stern post nearly upright.

External gunwales hollow, forming an oblique section of a parabola with the side of the boat, and projecting nine inches from it on each side: these gunwales are reduced a little in their projection towards their ends, and are first formed by brackets and thin boards, covered at top and bottom with one thickness of good found cork, and the extremity or apex of the projection having two thicknesses of cork, the better to defend it from any violent blows it may meet with in hard service. The depth of these gunwales from top to bottom was 15 inches, and the whole covered with very strong canvas, laid on with strong cement to resist the water, and that will not stick to anything laid upon it.

A false keel of wrought iron three inches deep, made of three bars riveted together, and bolted under the common keel, which it greatly strengthens, and makes a very essential part of her ballast; being fixed so much below the floor, it has nearly double the power the same weight would have if laid on the floor, and therefore much