354 LAST HOPE INLET—swaNns—coots. April 1830. 
by high land far to the northward of Worsley Bay. Many 
deer were seen on the plains eastward of the inlet, and some 
were shot at, but escaped. Swans, ducks, and coots had been 
killed in such numbers, that on their return all the schooner’s 
crew were plentifully supplied. Of this place Mr. Kirke says: 
‘ At the commencement of the N.E. sound there is low land, 
which extends about thirteen miles up its shores. The entrance 
is three or four miles wide; but five miles up, the inlet is con- 
tracted to about half a mile in width, by a shoal connecting 
three islets with the western shore. These islets were literally 
surrounded by black-necked swans, mixed with a few which 
had black-tipped wings: the male of the latter has a peculiar 
note, which sounds like ‘ ken kank,’ but the female only sounds 
© kank.’ 
“« « A few coots were shot in this neighbourhood, out of an 
immense quantity seen. In each of two flocks, I think, there 
must have been upwards of a thousand. 
«« « From these islets the sound trends nearly north for seven 
or eight miles, when it is again narrowed by an island, on each 
side of which there is a narrow passage for a vessel; but the 
eastern one is the best. The few bays near here are fit for small 
vessels only. 
«< ¢ Beyond this island the face of the country begins to alter 
from low to mountainous land, with long flats in the valleys, 
and the sound also changes its course more to the N.W. Near 
a high bluff on the eastern shore, eight miles further up the 
sound, the land becomes higher and covered with snow; yet 
there are still a few level patches between the mountains. 
From this bluff the sound trends about a point more westerly 
for five or six miles, to a place where there is a small inlet, on 
the left, between two snow-covered, mountainous ridges. The 
water there was changed to a clayey-colour, and had a brackish 
taste. Continuing our course for two miles, I found a large 
expanse of water, the north end of which was limited by low 
land, backed by high snowy mountains in the distance ; its 
southern extreme terminated at the foot of high mountains, 
also covered with snow; and had a large run of water from a 
