306 APPEARANCE OF THE COUNT UY. 



this, the only one obtained, it has been described as 

 JEulabeornis Castaneoventris. It is doubtless the 

 bird called by the Port Essington natives, Mordug- 

 gera, the eggs only of which were found there, the 

 bird itself not having been seen. They were equal 

 in size to those of a guinea fowl, of a dirty white, 

 finely speckled with reddish brown. 



Our course now changed to south-west, and as 

 the width and tortuousness began to decrease — a 

 sure indication that the country was rising — we 

 soon made another six miles. But after this the 

 boats could no further proceed, — the inlet, in short, 

 having become a mere ditch at low water. The 

 head of a large alligator was found on the bank near 

 the upper part ; where might be seen an occasional 

 acacia mingled with the mangroves. Behind, the 

 country was very open, consisting of plains covered 

 with coarse grass, interspersed with patches of 

 dwarf gums. About seven miles in an E. by N. 

 direction the country was thickly wooded, and 

 appeared to be a little higher — the only interruption 

 to the level monotony of the portion of the continent 

 by which we were surrounded. The soil was of a 

 light brown colour void of sand, and of considerable 

 depth. 



Nothing now remained but to retrace our steps 

 and try the other branch ; and as our want of suc- 

 cess in this case rather heightened our expectation 

 we hurried back with some rapidity. It was dark 

 before we reached the point of separation, where 



