OF LA. PEROUSK. 445 



much bigger than the kangaroo: it a (Fords little 

 food for birds ; and, indeed, of thefe I found in 

 this excurlion only two fpecics, a mufcicapa, 

 which I afterwards met with at the Moluccas ; 

 and the beautiful fpecies of red-crcftcd cockatoo, 

 ffittaais MoJuccenJis f which were feen here in 

 flocks of feveral hundreds. When I endeavour- 

 ed to approach them, they always fet off at a 

 great diiiance, and flew fwiftly in fudden fprings, 

 at the fame time letting up piercing and very 

 difagreeable cries. 



The banks of the lake, which we followed for 

 fome time in approaching the fea, are fome- 

 what marfliy ; It extends very far inland, fince 

 the party that went to the north- weft alfo 

 reached its banks ; fome of them came to meet 

 us, to inform us that they bad remarked quite 

 clofe to the lake, towards the part the fartheir, 

 from the fea, impreflions of fhoes, which left 

 no doubt that Riche had pafTcd there ; but the 

 marks of naked feet, which appeared quite clofe 

 to his, gave reafon to apprehend that he had 

 been carried away by the lavages into the interior 

 of the country. A circumftance which fliil more 

 increafed the probability of this conjecture was, 

 that they foon found his pocket-handkerchief on 

 the fands, and, a few yards farther on, one of 

 his piftols. At a fmall diltance was fcen a little 

 fmoke of a deferted fire, and round it wcre,found 



fome 



