234 THE PORT DARWIN DISTRICT 



natives, who were evidently more numerous here than in 

 most parts of the country ; but we did not see any this 

 day, although we two or three times heard distant shouts, 

 probably signals or warning cries from individual blacks 

 who had discovered us. 



Five or six emus were seen on the plain, and there 

 were plenty of kangaroos and wallaby about. One species 

 of kangaroo was large in size and light grey in colour ; 

 another large kind was, I think, Macropus rufus; but as 

 neither of these large kangaroos were shot, I cannot be 

 sure. Of the wallabies, several very small and very darkly- 

 coloured animals were shot. These were, without doubt, 

 of the Petrogale concinna species, and were found on a 

 portion of the plain which was thickly covered with frag- 

 ments of whitish-coloured sandstone. There was plenty 

 of quail and other birds on this plain. 



I tried to approach one or two of the whirlwinds, or 

 sand-spouts, but, like a will-o'-the-wisp, they retired before 

 me. They were not very thick, but about twelve feet 

 high, and disappeared towards night, when the wind fell. 



On the far side, towards the east, the plain rose into 

 undulating ground, the highest being about a hundred and 

 fifty feet high ; and the ground was here so well covered 

 with trees, that it presented the appearance for many 

 miles of a forest. Cockatoos and parrots of many different 

 kinds abounded in great numbers, as well as small birds 

 and hawks of three species. In this wood we passed the 

 night of the 2ist without incident. But towards morning 

 there was a very heavy storm of wind and rain, lasting 

 until eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when the wind 

 dropped ; but it continued to rain heavily all day, and we 

 were glad to take shelter with the most perishable of our 

 goods in hollow-trees, the poor horses having to put up 

 with a thorough drenching, which made them look forlorn 

 enough. There was a very great fall of temperature with 

 this rain, which made us all shiver with cold ; and as we 

 had not brought much heavy clothing with us, we had to 

 wrap the blankets round our benumbed bodies. The 

 Chinamen particularly complained of their misery, and I 



