CH. II.] KANGAROO SHOT. 37 



bottom consisted of gravel and sand. The banks of the 

 Peel, thus far, are composed chiefly of extensive flats of good 

 land, thinly wooded, and occasionally flooded by the river. 



Only a few of the flats, however, are quite clear of trees, 

 but where the ground is open, the soil appears to be rich, and 

 presents the same characters which I noticed elsewhere. 

 We saw a numerous family of kangaroos this day, but al- 

 though the dogs were let loose, such was the length of the 

 grass, that they could not see the game. The morning had 

 been clear, but the sky in the afternoon was overcast by a 

 thunder storm, with a strong gale of wind. At sunset, the 

 weather cleared up, and the sky became again serene. 



Dec. 14. — The sun rose clear, and the party were in mo- 

 tion at seven o'clock. This day I discovered, that the native 

 had sent back his gin early in the morning, a circumstance 

 which I regretted, for the woman had an intelligent counte- 

 nance, and having been brought from the country towards 

 which we were travelling, she might have been of service to 

 us. When we had proceeded a few miles, the quick eye of 

 " Mr. Brown" distinguished the head of a kangaroo peeping 

 at us over the long grass. On discharging my rifle at it, 

 the animal, as he supposed, bounded off; but as I had taken 

 very steady aim, I ran to the spot, and there found, to the 

 astonishment of our guide, the kangaroo at which I had 

 aimed lying dead, the ball having passed through the throat 





m 



ws 



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and neck. The kangaroo which leapt about on the discharge 

 of the piece, was another which had not been previously in 

 sight, and appeared to have been the mate of that which fell. 

 The distance was considerable, and the shot fortunate, as 



CS:. 



