RETURN OF THE BOATS. 153 



and three of the eucalypti, stunted banksia, acacia, 

 and thesins^ular tree before mentioned. The birds 

 we saw were wholly those belonging to the land, 

 and were chiefly black and white cockatoos, and a 

 variety of finches. We neither saw nor caught any 

 fish, and the absence of water-fowl led us to suppose 

 they were scarce. All the excitement and interest 

 we had enjoyed in exploring the Fitz-Roy thus far, 

 now left us, and our return was comparatively 

 tedious and monotonous work. 



March 12. — We, however, managed to reach 

 our last night's bivouac by dark ; and towards the 

 close of the next day we got as far down as the 

 outer grassy islet in the entrance of the river. The 

 night was stormy, but the wind and rain together 

 kept away the musquitoes, and enabled us to obtain 

 a little most welcome rest. This change in the 

 weather was sudden. Hitherto we had been singu- 

 larly fortunate, each succeeding night, and returning 

 morn being, in clearness and beauty, only a repeti- 

 tion of its predecessor. 



March 13. — The morning was again fine, and 

 the bright sky was not disfigured by the least trace 

 of the dark clouds that had so lately overspread it. 

 The tide fortunately favoured our making an early 

 start. On passing Escape Point, so named, as the 

 reader may recollect, in grateful remembrance of 

 the providential escape a small party of us ex- 

 perienced there, we saw an alligator slide his 

 unwieldy carcass from the soft mud-bank, upon 



