O APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 



we passed a small island. The banks on either side 

 of the inlet were, as usual, a thick grove of man- 

 groves, except in one spot, a mile lower down, where 

 we landed on our return for observations. This we 

 found to be a low cliffy projection of slate formation, 

 whilst scattered over the face of the few miles of 

 country, which we are able to explore, were small bits 

 of quartz ; large blocks also of which protruded 

 occasionally through a light kind of mould. 



The country was a most thirsty looking level, the 

 low brushwood on which cracked and snapped as 

 we walked through it, with a brittle dryness that 

 testified how perfectly parched up was everything. 

 A single spark would instantly have wrapped the 

 whole face of the country in one sheet of fire. 

 Slight blasts of heated withering air, as if from an 

 oven, would occasionally strike the face as we walked 

 along ; sometimes they were loaded with those peculiar 

 and most agreeable odours that arise from different 

 kinds of gums. Still the white eucalyptus and the 

 palm, wore in comparison with the other vege- 

 tation, an extraordinary green appearance, derived 

 probably from the nightly copious falls of dew, 

 which is the only moisture this part of the con- 

 tinent receives during the present season. The 

 birds we observed were common to other parts of 

 the continent, being a few screaming cockatoos, 

 parrots, and quails, and near the water a small 

 white egret. There was nothing of interest to 

 recall our memories to this first visit to a new 



