v°'j92^i^'] Forgotten Feathers. 319 



Australian waters, thou<,'-h still surviving at Maccjuarie Island 

 and other Antarctic islands. — W.R.A.] 



January 12th. "P>oat returned on board. They caught tour 

 badgers [wombats] and saw several kangaroos, but were not 

 able to get any from the thickness of the brush. They also 

 found feathers of Emus and a dead one. Snakes are here, as 

 the skin of one was found. We got several gallons of elephant 

 oil out to-day as a specimen to Government and for our own use." 



January r7th. "Mr. Bowen [first mate] came off; he brought 

 on board three seals with hair of prime fur, and told me there 

 was a vast ([uantity on shore. Elephants are also in abundance;, 

 and the woods full of kangaroos, emmues (sic), badgers, etc. 

 Some few shells were found. . . . After dinner I went on shore. 

 The brush is very thick, which rendered it impossible to get 

 any way in. There is little doubt of plenty of water be-ng here 

 as we in our search started 15 or 20 kangaroos from 30 to 40 

 pounds weight. An Emu was caught by the dog about 50 lbs. 

 weight and surprising. fat. At one place on this beach an acre 

 of ground at least was covered with elephants of a most amazing 

 size, and several were all along the beach and playing in the 

 water. ... I named this last discovery the Bay of Seals from 

 the number of these animals on the shores of it." 



January 19th. "A wambuck (sic) was caught; served it, a 

 swan and a kangaroo to ship's company." 



January 22nd. "Close to the Elephant Rock .... This rock is 

 about 1-| miles in circumference, and it is entirely covered with 

 seals of prime fur, some of which the ofificer brought. There 

 might be 6 or 7000 seals of different sizes on shore." 



January 23rd. "I was told that the Rock was full of Mutton- 

 birds ; in consequence of this I had the boat on shore, and pro- 

 cured 80 or 90 of them ; served ditto to the people." 



January 24th. "We took leave of this large and fine island 

 where the benevolent hand of Providence has fixed the chief 

 necessaries of life and the means to procure some of its 

 luxuries." 



Murray's report of the abundance of seals and sea elephants 

 on King Island led the sellers from Port Jackson to visit it very 

 promptly, for, as we know, when the French ships visited it 

 at the end of the same year sealers were already at work there, 

 and it was from them that Peron obtained his account of the 

 King Island Emus, which they were utilising for food. Profes- 

 sor L. Brasil published Peron's notes in an article in The Emu, 

 vol. xiv., p. 88 (1914). One of Peron's questions to the sealers 

 (No. 6) was: "What is the largest size they attain?" The 

 answer being, "In King Island almost 44 feet ; they are smaller 

 than in Sydney." (7) "What is the weight of the bird then ^" 

 "The heaviest weighs from 45 to 50 pounds." As we hsve seen, 

 the one caught by Murray's dog was "surprising fat" and 

 weighed 50 pounds : an interesting confirmation of this statement. 



