302 CAPE YORK. 



their eagle-like flight, far above the cloud of other birds 

 beneath. 



On the island were lying about the shells of numerous 

 turtles which had died there. In one place there was quite a 

 heap of these at a spot where there was a sort of miniature 

 gully, bounded by a perpendicular wall of rock about two feet 

 in height. It appeared as if the turtles had crawled up from 

 the sea-shore to spawn, and being stopped by this small cliff, 

 had been unable to turn round or go backwards, and had died 

 there. A Locust {Acridiuni) was very common amongst the 

 grass on the island, and a large Earwig [Forftcu/a) under the 

 stones. 



Cape York, Australia, Sept. 1st to Sept. 8th, 1874. — The 

 " Challenger " reached Somerset, Cape York, the northernmost 

 point of Australia, on the evening of September ist. The 

 coast leading up from the south towards Somerset, presents a 

 succession of sandy bays, which looked glaring and hot as we 

 passed them in the distance. Behind these sands the country 

 rises in a succession of low hills, and is covered with a thick 

 vegetation. Somerset lies in a narrow channel, formed between 

 the small island of Albany and the mainland. The island, and 

 also parts of the mainland bordering the sea, at the entrance 

 to the channel from the south, are bare of trees, excepting 

 " Screw pines," and covered only with a grass, in the dry 

 season withered into hay. 



These open grass-covered spaces are rendered most remark- 

 able objects, because they are covered in all directions with 

 the nests of Termites (White Ants). These nests are great 

 conical structures of a brick red colour, often as much as ten 

 feet in height. Standing up all over the open country, they 

 give the scene almost the appearance of a pottery district in 

 miniature, beset with kiln chimneys. 



The tide runs in a regular race through the channel between 

 Albany Island and Somerset, and we drifted rapidly with it to 

 an anchorage opposite the small bay in which Somerset lies. 

 On the one hand is a small strip of Mangrove swamp ; in the 

 centre, a long beach of sand : on the other hand, the com- 

 mencement of a range of low cliffs. 



Behind the shore of the Bay the land rises steeply, and is 

 covered with wood, except where cleared around two conspicu- 

 ous sets of wooden buildings, the one the residence of the 

 magistrate, the other the barracks of the water police. 



Three other wooden houses, one on the beach used as a 

 store, the other two nearly in ruins, and only temporarily 

 inhabited, make up with these the whole settlement of 

 Somerset. There were only tive or six permanent ^Vhite 



