MAY 1770 EXCURSION INLAND 267 



1st May. The captain, Dr. Solander, and myself, and 

 some of the people, making in all ten muskets, resolved 

 to make an excursion into the country. We accordingly 

 did so, and walked till we completely tired ourselves, which 

 was in the evening ; seeing by the way only one Indian, who 

 ran from us as soon as he saw us. The soil, wherever we 

 saw it, consisted of either swamps or light sandy soil, on 

 which grew very few species of trees, one, 1 which was large, 

 yielding a gum much like Sanguis draconis ; but every place 

 was covered with vast quantities of grass. We saw many 

 Indian houses, and places where they had slept upon the 

 grass without the least shelter. In these we left beads, 

 ribbons, etc. We saw one quadruped about the size of a 

 rabbit. My greyhound just got sight of him, and instantly 

 lamed himself against a stump which lay concealed in the 

 long grass. We saw also the dung of a large animal that 

 had fed on grass, much resembling that of a stag ; also the 

 footprints of an animal clawed like a dog or wolf, and as 

 large as the latter, and of a small animal whose feet were 

 like those of a polecat or weasel. The trees overhead 

 abounded very much with loryquets and cockatoos, of which 

 we shot several. 



2nd. The morning was rainy, and we had already so 

 many plants that we were well contented to find an 

 excuse for staying on board to examine them a little. In 

 the afternoon, however, it cleared up, and we returned 

 to our old occupation of collecting, in which we had our 

 usual good success. Tupia, who strayed from us in pursuit 

 of parrots, of which he shot several, told us on his return 

 that he had seen nine Indians, who ran from him as soon 

 as they perceived him. 



3rd. Our collection of plants was now grown so im- 

 mensely large that it was necessary that some extraordinary 

 care should be taken of them, lest they should spoil in the 

 books. I therefore devoted this day to that business, and 

 carried ashore all the drying paper, nearly 200 quires, of 

 which the larger part was full, and spreading them upon a 

 1 A species of Eucalyptus, or gum tree. 



