274 AUSTRALIA CHAP, xi 



many brimstone -coloured spots, those of his under wings 

 being indented deeply at each end. 



We saw no fresh water, but several swamps of salt 

 overgrown with mangroves ; in these we found some species 

 of shells, among them Trochus perspective, Linn. Here also 

 was a very singular phenomenon in a small fish of which 

 there were great abundance. It was about the size of an 

 English minnow, and had two very strong breast fins ; we 

 often found it in quite dry places, where maybe it had been 

 left by the tide. Upon seeing us it immediately fled from 

 us, leaping as nimbly as a frog by means of the breast fins; 

 nor did it seem to prefer water to land, for if seen in the 

 water he often leaped out and proceeded on dry land, and 

 when the water was filled with small stones standing above 

 its surface, would leap from stone to stone rather than go 

 into the water. In this manner I observed several pass 

 over puddles of water and proceed on the other side leaping 

 as before. 



In the afternoon we went to the other side of the bay ; if 

 anything, the soil was rather better. In neither morning 

 nor evening were there any traces of inhabitants ever having 

 been where we were, except that here and there trees had 

 been burnt down. 



8th June. We passed within a quarter of a mile of a 

 small islet or rock, on which we saw with our glasses about 

 thirty men, women, and children standing all together, and 

 looking attentively at us ; the first people we have seen show 

 any signs of curiosity at the sight of the ship. 



10th. Just without us as we lay at anchor was a small 

 sandy island lying upon a large coral shoal much resembling 

 the low islands to the eastward of us, but the first of the 

 kind we had met with in this part of the South Sea. Early 

 in the morning we weighed and sailed as usual with a fine 

 breeze along shore. While we were at supper she went over 

 a bank of seven or eight fathoms of water, which she came 

 upon very suddenly ; this we concluded to be the tail of the 

 shoals we had seen at sunset, and therefore went to bed in 

 perfect security; but scarcely were we warm in our beds 



