SOUTH SHORE OF THE GULF. 325 



and, with the exception of the first five, is sandy 

 throughout. Thirteen miles from Van Diemcn's 

 Inlet is an opening of some magnitude, near the 

 south entrance point of which are ponds of fresh 

 water. Two and four miles south of it were small 

 openings ; and two and seven miles north of it, two 

 others. 



During his excursion Mr. Fitzmaurice had killed 

 one of the rare species of kangaroo, seen for the first 

 time by us at King Sound, called Macropus Ungui- 

 fer ; this was a somewhat important discovery, as it 

 shewed the extent to which the animal is diffused 

 over the continent. I may here mention, that the 

 night before we reached Van Diemen's Inlet a flight 

 of rose-coloured cockatoos,* several of which were 

 caught and kept alive for some time, alighted on the 

 rio-D'inof. 



Thus terminated our exploration of the southern 

 shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, nearly two hundred 

 miles of which had been minutely examined in the 

 boats.f Twenty-six inlets had been discovered, of 

 which two proved to be rivers, whilst three more were 

 nearly as promising. That all the others may con- 

 tain fresh water in the rainy season there is every 

 reason for supposing, from the fact of deep channels 

 being found in their banks ; from what I have 

 already observed regarding the water being less salt 



* Cacatua Eos. 



t As the reader will perceive by a glance at the chart accom- 

 panying this work. 



