May 1828. isthmus— south sea — c. raper. 171 



leaf at rest, combined with the stillness around to give the 

 scene a singular air of undisturbed repose. We reached the 

 extremity of the inlet, which we found was about six miles 

 from its mouth ; and thinking that it was the inner shore of an 

 isthmus, of no great width, curiosity prompted us to endeavour 

 to see its outer shore : so we secured the boat, and accompanied 

 by five of the boafs crew, with hatchets and knives to cut their 

 way, and mark the trees to guide us on our way back, we 

 plunged into the forest, which was scarcely pervious on account 

 of its entangled growth, and the obstructions presented by 

 trunks and branches of fallen trees. 



Our only guide was an occasional glimpse, from the top of 

 a tree, of the ranges of mountains, by which we steered our 

 course. However, two hours of this sort of work were rewarded 

 by finding ourselves in sight of the great South Sea. It would 

 be vain to attempt describing adequately the contrast to the 

 late quiet scene exhibited by the view we had on emerging 

 from this dark wood. The inlet where we left our boat resembled 

 a calm and sequestered mountain lake, without a ripple on its 

 waters : the shore on which we now stood was that of a horrid 

 rock-bound coast, lashed by the awful surf of a boundless 

 ocean, impelled by almost unceasing west winds 



" Our view of the coast was limited on each side by rocky 

 mountainous promontories : off the northernmost, which I 

 called Cape Raper, were rocks and breakers, extending nearly 

 a mile to seaward. Having taken the few bearings our situation 

 enabled us to obtain, we retraced our steps to the boat, and 

 by aid of the marks we had left on the trees, reached her in an 

 hour and forty-three minutes. 



" Some of the beech-trees of this wood were fifteen feet 

 in circumference ; but I noticed none differing in their kind 

 from those already observed about Port Otway. A few wrens 

 were the only living creatures we saw ; not even an insect was 

 found in our walk. In the beds of some of the streams inter- 

 secting the woods was a singularly sparkling sand, which had 

 so much the appearance of gold, that some of our party carried 



