NEW SOUTH WALES. 27 1 



the world. He is extremely industrious, and by fishing, wood- 

 cutting, honey gathering, and the proceeds of his farm-yard, 

 must be doing well ; we stopped at his cottage for two nights, 

 and hired his boat. 



Browera Creek is of varied interest. As an example of denu- 

 dation, it appears to correspond exactly to what is seen at a 

 much higher level in the Blue Mountains. The extraordinary 

 proximity into which animals found usually only in open sea, 

 are here brought with those only occurring inland, is of great 

 interest from a geological point of view ; it recalls at once to the 

 mind such mixtures of marine and terrestrial animal remains, as 

 those occurring in geological deposits, such as the Stonesfield 

 beds. 



Here is a narrow strip of sea-water, twenty miles distant 

 from the open sea ; on a sandy shallow fiat, close to its head, are 

 to be seen basking in the sun, numbers of Sting-rays (Trygon) ) 

 a kind of skate provided with a sharp saw-edged bony weapon 

 (the sting), at the base of its tail. All over these flats, and 

 throughout the whole stretch of the creek, shoals of Grey 

 Mullets are to be met with ; numerous other marine fish in- 

 habit the creek, some growing to 150 lbs. in weight, and often 

 caught weighing as much as 60 or 80 lbs. A Diodon or Trunk- 

 fish, is amongst the fishes. Porpoises chase the mullet right up 

 to the commencement of the sand-flat. 



At the shores of the creek the rocks are covered with masses 

 of excellent oysters and mussels, and other shell-bearing 

 mollusks are abundant, whilst a small crab is to be found in 

 numbers in every crevice. 



On the other hand, the water is overhung by numerous 

 species of forest trees, and by orchids and ferns, and other 

 vegetation of all kinds ; mangroves grow only in the shallow 

 bays. The gum-trees lean over the water in which swim 

 Trygons and mullets, just as willows hang over a pond full of 

 carp. The sandy bottom is full of branches and stems of trees, 

 and is covered in patches here and there by their leaves. 



Insects constantly fall on the water, and are devoured by 

 the mullets. Land birds of all kinds fly to and fro across the 

 creek, and when wounded may easily get drowned in it. Walla- 



