NEW SOUTH WALES. 2/7 



islands is seen to feed in all parts of the day. 

 The stomacs of such as Mr. Bass examined 

 were distended with the coarse wiry grass, and 

 he had seen the animal scratching among the 

 the dry ricks of sea-weed thrown up upon the 

 shores, hat could never discover what it was in 

 search of. 



Cape Barren Island, besides the kangaroo 

 and worn-bat, is inhabited by the porcupine 

 ant-eater ; a rat with webbed feet ; parroquets, 

 and small birds unknown at Port Jackson, some 

 few of which were of beautiful plumage. Black 

 snakes with the venimous fangs w r ere numerous 

 upon the edges of the brush. The rocks to- 

 ward the sea were covered with fur-seals. 



Quitting Furneaux's Islands, the Norfolk 

 proceeded toward the North coast of Van Die- 

 men's land; and on the 1st of November an- 

 chored at the largest of the Swan Jsles, two 

 small islands so called by Lieut. Flinders, when 

 here in the Francis; as an European belonging 

 to the Sydney-Cove assured him that he had 

 met great numbers of swans on them. 



The isle at which the sloop anchored, like 

 Preservation Island, was low, sandy, and bar- 

 ren, but differed in the composition of its rocks, 

 or that substance Which formed the basis of its 

 support. This had not any affinity to gra- 

 nite. It was of various colours, but generally 

 either of a light brown or grey. It seemed to 

 be lamellated, but the lamelhu were placed ver- 

 tically, often radiated with a diameter of four 

 or five feet, and sometimes placed parallel. On 

 breaking the stone, the fracture was vitreous, or 



