SWEEPS ISLAND. 269 



tion to the aboriginal races of the South — they did 

 not possess the fatal, or salutary, curiosity that 

 prompts'^ most men to attempt fathoming the depth 

 of whatever is mysterious. Restrained by their 

 fears, or by their ignorant, or philosophical indif- 

 ference, they did not again shew themselves : 

 and thouffh when we landed we once or twice 

 thought we heard sounds of life in our vicinity, the 

 natives of the island never again came under our 

 observation. It is remarkable that the same cir- 

 cumstance happened to Flinders. He also perceived 

 human beings at a distance ; but when he endea- 

 voured to communicate with them, they retired, as 

 he mentions, to some of the caverns that exist on 

 the island, and were seen no more. 



Sweers Island appeared to be very woody, and 

 bounded by low dark cliffs on the north-east side. 

 We found a long extent of foul ground, with a dry 

 reef near its outer end, extending off two miles in 

 a S. 33° E. direction from the S. E. extreme. Our 

 anchorage was in 5J fathoms, nearly abreast of a 

 remarkable and solitary sandy point on the above- 

 mentioned island. As we beat up, the navigable 

 width between this and Fowler Island was found to 

 be one mile, and the depth 4 and 5 fathoms. 



A party was immediately despatched in search of 

 the Investigator's well. Previous to landing, the 

 whole island appeared to be perfectly alive with a 

 dense cloud of small flying animals, which, on our 

 reaching the shore, proved to be locusts in countless 



