134 MOUNT ADOLPHUS. 



women had a short petticoat of leaves, reaching from 

 the waist to the knee. 



As they were so numerous, and we could not land 

 without wading a long way over the reef and leav- 

 ing the boats, we in a little time returned to the 

 ship, hoping they would come off in some of the 

 canoes we saw lying on the beach. One man volun- 

 teered to go off with us, but after going a little 

 way his heart appeared to fail him, and diving over- 

 board, he swam back to his companions. In the 

 afternoon, we were watching with our glasses from 

 the ship a party of natives sitting in a circle on the 

 beach, and another party outside playing with their 

 children, apparently teaching them to use the bow 

 and arrow, and running races on the sand. Their 

 canoes appeared to be similar to those we had seen 

 at Cape Direction, but it was blowing too strongly 

 for them to venture off. 



August 7. — The wind was so very fresh and the 

 sea so rough, that no communication took place 

 with the shore to-day, and the next day we beat up 

 to the eastward of Murray Island, and then con- 

 tinued the survey to the York Islands. On August 

 1 1 , we anchored in Blackwood Bay, under Mount 

 Adolphus. On the 15th, the Bramble and Midge 

 rejoined us here, and our surveying operations were 

 closed for the season, the Midge being unrigged and 

 hoisted on board the Fly again. The York Islands 

 were exceedingly barren and uninteresting. There 

 were but few birds, and those small. The rocks are 



