NEW SOUTH WALES. 225 
is too hard for holding well, being coral rocks. The ^ ha p. 
eafl fide they did not examine. The low narrow part ^ — ' 
May, 1788. 
has evidently been overflowed and the iiland disjointed, 
for in the very center, as they walked acrofs, they faw 
large beds of coral rocks, and fliells in great abundance; 
and on the eaft fide, which feems in general to be the 
weather fide, the fea has thrown up a bank of fand, 
from twenty-five to thirty feet in height, which ferves 
as a barrier againft future inundations. The ifland has 
likewife every appearance of having undergone a volcanic 
revolution, as they found great quantities of burnt fione 
and pumice fione ; and Mr. Anftis, who landed on the 
reef which flielters the weft bay, at dead low waterj 
found the whole a burnt up mafs. . 
The inhabitants of this ifland were all of the feathered 
tribe, and the chief of thefe was the ganet, of which 
there were prodigious numbers, and it fliould feem that 
this is the time of their incubation, the females being 
all on their nefts : thefe are places fimply hollowed in the 
fand, there not being a fingle quadruped that could be 
found upon the ifland todifturb them. The people brought 
numbers of their eggs on board. Very large pigeons were 
alfo met with in great plenty ; likewife beautiful parrots ■ ^ 
and parroquets ; a new fpecies, apparently, of the coote^ 
and alfo of the rail, and magpie; and a mod beau- 
tiful fmall bird, brown, with a yellow breaft and yellow 
G g , ou 
% ' /, 
