NAERATIVE OF MR. CAREON. 197 



tained seeds. We shot three ducks to-day, and 

 Wall killed a wallaby of a lig'ht grey colour, long- 

 soft fur, and rather bushy tail ; he thought it new, 

 and preserved the skin. I also obtained specimens 

 of a beautiful plant, a shrub about two feet high, 

 with white sweet-scented blossoms, belonging to the 

 natural order JRubiacece, and several other interesting 

 plants. Lately, however, my specimens had been 

 very much spoiled, — being torn from the horse's 

 back so frequently, that I grew disheartened to see 

 all the efforts I had made, made in vain, although I 

 still took every method to preserve them from 

 injury. 



Oct. 2nd. — This morning we proceeded across 

 the plain, and when we had advanced about two 

 miles upon it, we discovered that the natives had set 

 the gi-ass on fire behind us, and the wind blowing 

 from the eastward, and the grass growing thick and 

 hig-h, it rapidly gained upon us; we made aU 

 possible haste to some burned ground which we had 

 seen on Saturday, and reached it only a few minutes 

 before the fire. We were enveloped in smoke and 

 ashes, but fortunately no one was burned. The 

 natives did not come near us, although no doubt 

 they watched us, and saw us proceeding to the part 

 of the plain that was burned. The plain extended 

 a great distance to the westward, and in crossing it 

 one of our horses knocked up and could travel no 

 longer; Mr. Kennedy ordered him to be bled, and 

 we not liking to lose the blood, boiled it as a blood- 



