130 Kennedy's expedition. 



yellow flowers. There also grew the genera Xan- 

 thorrhcea^ Xerotes, and Mestio (rope-grass.) 



There were a great many wallabies near the beach^ 

 but they were very wild. While returning to the 

 camp in the evening, I met several natives who had 

 been out fishing. Most of the fish they had taken 

 had been speared, only a few having been caught 

 with hooks. I remained wdth them some time, and 

 learned some of their expressions. Fresh water 

 they call " hammoo/'* salt water, " mocull ;" their 

 dogs — the same species as the native dogs found 

 near Sydney — they call " taa-taa." We had not as 

 yet seen any of their women, as they were encamped 

 at some distance from us. 



Near the beach, by the side of the salt water 

 creek, I saw a beautiful species of Ruellia with ter- 

 minal spikes of blue flowers, and spiny-toothed 

 leaves, and a bushy shrub eight or ten feet high — 

 with alternate exstipulate, simple, oval leaves — bear- 

 ing a sohtary, axillary, round fruit, resembhng a 

 greengage plum ; the fleshy pulp covering the hard 

 round stone has rather a bitter taste, but it is not dis- 

 agreeable when ripe. It acts as a laxative if eaten 

 in any quantity, and is probably Maba laurina. 



On the following morning, May 27th, when the 

 horses were watered and fed, I commenced digging 

 a piece of ground, ia which I sowed seeds of cab- 

 bage, turnip, leek, pumpkin, rock and water melons, 



* Kama, at Goold Island, only a few miles distant. 



