TO PORT ESSINGTON. 353 
the plains and flats, which were large and numerous along 
the Alligator rivers and Van Diemen Gulf. + They were again 
favoured with fine weather until they were fairly on the 
peninsula, when the thunderstorms recommenced, and on the 
day of their arrival in Victoria, heavy rains set in, which 
rendered the flats boggy, and flooded the creeks. 
Dr. Leichardt states that the sea breeze at Victoria is ex- 
tremely weak, and he thinks that Captain Macarthur is 
correct in attributing partly to this fact, the fever, from 
which the garrison has several times severely suffered. It is 
extremely difficult to assign any other reason for the want 
of salubrity. The country is undulating and hilly, the soil is 
sandy, and absorbs rapidly the lieaviest showers ; the forest 
1s open, the mangrove thickets which cover the mouth of the - 
creeks scarcely deserve the name of swamps, as they are 
washed by the tide, and form no accumulation of vegetable 
_ Matter, which might produce the miasma or malaria which 
 Senerally renders tropical countries so dangerous. After 
Tan the air is fresh and pure and the ground dry. Those 
localities, which are freely exposed to sea breeze, as for 
Instance Croker's Island, are, according to Captain Macarthur, 
very healthy. ue E ; i 
a On the character of the botany of the remaining portion 
o joumey Dr. Leichardt makes the following observa- 
When entering upon the system of the waters of the gulf, - 
5 the character of the vegetation changed very considerably, 
_ 3hda number of new forms appeared which bore resemblance 
. "the flora of the Malay Islands and of India. The head of 
the Lynd was remarkably rich in various plants and trees. — — 
€ 4 un gossypium, Kunth and a rose-coloured Ster- d = 
_ Gulia attracted their attention by the beauty of its blossoms, - 
 * Species of Eucalyptus with its butt covered by short 
 foliaceous bark bearing seed-vessels of immense size, and 
: blossoms of an orange colour was also observed. A rubia 
. “Sous tree belonging to the Sarcocephalee was distin 
— by rich dark green umbrageous foliage, and a dwarf 
VOL. yi, ei D + 
