]G8 APrEAHANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 



to be IG" 12' S. and 128" 32' E. We had as usual 

 a fine nif^ht with a li^iht E.S.E. breeze, wliich had 

 succeeded a strong one from S.E. during the day. 



March 25. — Daylight found us running before a 

 fresh breeze from the S.E. in a N.N.E. direction ; 

 crossing the mouths of small bays, four miles 

 brought us to the N.W. extreme of the main land, 

 the shores of which we followed for two miles in a 

 E.N.E. and one in an E. half S. direction, when we 

 came to a small sandy bay where we landed to 

 search in a promising ravine for w^ater ; this we had 

 the good fortune to find almost immediately ; whilst 

 the breakers were filling, Mr. Tarrant and myself 

 ascended a hill near, for a h\v angles. The country 

 again presented a barren appearance, large masses 

 of coarse sandstone lay scattered over the face of it ; 

 a wiry grass, with a few stunted gum-trees grow- 

 ing in the ravines, were all the vegetation this point 

 boasted of, and from what we saw of the interior, it 

 appeared scarcely more inviting. The sterility 

 however which apparently prevailed over this part 

 of Australia, could not obliterate those feelings of 

 deep interest, which must pervade every one, as the 

 eye wanders for the first time over a country 

 hitherto unknown. We had just completed our. 

 surveying operations, when two of the boat's crew^ 

 came to report a visit from one of the natives, and 

 concluding others were at hand, hastened up to 

 strengthen our party ; they said their sable visitor 

 came to them without any enticing, no oflTers of red 

 or blue handkerchiefs, or some gaudy bauble that 



