evans's bay. 139 



is a small woodland, of the usual gum forest of the 

 country, the trees scattered, and the ground covered 

 with long grass. Some rocky hills, about 300 feet 

 in height, rise a little distance from the shore, one 

 ridge of which comes almost down to the beach, but 

 other portions fall back, leaving pleasant grassy 

 flats between them and the sea. Everywhere, at 

 the back of the beach, excellent fresh water was 

 procured by making a hole in the ground. This is 

 especially the case at the eastern end of the beach, 

 a quarter of a mile behind which are some fresh- 

 water pools draining into a small mangrove swamp. 

 This mangrove swamp continues all along the next 

 small bay to the eastward, which is shoal and 

 muddy. In the fresh- water pools were some fresh- 

 water fish of full growth, proving their constant 

 character. From the sandy beach, the water deepens 

 out to sea very gradually, so that vessels are obliged 

 to anchor about a mile from the shore ; the sea, 

 however, is always smooth, and there is no surf on 

 the beach, except in the rare occurrence of a gale 

 from the northward. We visited this bay, which 

 received the name of Evans's Bay from the master 

 of the Fly, in the months of August, September, 

 February, and June, during the years 1844 and 

 1845, and were never without pleasant and refresh- 

 ing showers, and a fine fresh sea breeze during the 

 day, and frequently throughout the night. At our 

 first visit the natives avoided us, though from lights 

 being seen moving ashore during the night, they 

 were evidently present. 



