274 SOIL, ETC. OF BENTINCK ISLAND. 



with the same honeycombed surface, as if it had 

 been exposed to the action of the sea. In other 

 parts of the island there is a great quantity of iron- 

 stone ; and the cliffs on the eastern side are mixed 

 with this and pipe-clay ; on the northern extreme 

 are some lakes or swamps. 



The soil is chiefly a mixture of sand and decom- 

 posed vegetable matter ; but it cannot boast of 

 fertility. The wood on the island, which consisted 

 for the most part of gums, wattles, a few acacias, 

 palms, and, near the beach, a straggling casuarina 

 or two, bespoke this by its stunted appearance ; 

 but as cotton grows well at Port Essington, there 

 can be little doubt that it will thrive here. Several 

 of the bustards spoken of by Flinders, were noticed; 

 but too wary to be killed. They were as large as 

 those seen in the neighbourhood of Port Phillip, 

 but much browner. The other birds, most common, 

 will be found in an extract from the game book, 

 given in a future page. We saw no animals, except 

 some large iguanas. 



Investigator Road is sheltered to the northward 

 by shoal water stretching across between Sweers 

 and Bentinck islands. The latter is slightly eleva- 

 ted, and thickly wooded ; it is large in comparison 

 with its neiofhbours, bein<? about ten miles in 

 extent either way. Its south side is much indented, 

 and the projections as well as the extreme of Fowler 

 Island, are lined with mangroves; they are fronted 

 with coral ledges, Near the south-east point, I 



