East Coast, Sf V. D 's Land.] INTRODUCTION. cxxx iii 
islands assumes a dressed, creeping form, strongly indicative of 
the strength and generality of the winds from those quarters. 179S ' 
Many of the sandy parts are covered with the hassocks of wiry 
grass, which constitute the favourite retreat of the sooty petrel; and 
at the back of the shores, there is frequently some extent of ground 
Where the creeping, salt plants grow, and to which the pinguins 
principally resort. To this general account of the scanty vegetable 
productions of Furneaux's Islands, may be added several low shrubs, 
and a grass which grows on the moist ground.? near the borders of 
the pools and fresh swamps, and which, though coarse, might serve 
as food for cattle. 
Of the animal productions of the islands, the list is somewhat 
more extensive. Those for which they are indebted to the sea, are 
seals of two kinds, sooty petrels, and pinguins. The hair seal 
appears to frequent the sheltered beaches, points, and rocks ; whilst 
the rocks and rocky points exposed to the buffettings of the waves 
are preferred by the handsomer and superior species, which never 
condescends to the effeminacy of a beach. A point or island will 
not be greatly resorted to by these animals, unless it slope gradually 
to the water, and the shore be, as we term it, steep to. This is the 
case with the islet lying off Cape Barren, and with Cone Point; with 
parts of the Passage Isles, and the south end of Clarke's Island; and 
at these places only, did I see fur seals in any number. 
The sooty petrel, better known at sea under the name of sheer- 
water, frequents the tufted, grassy parts of all the islands in astonish- 
ing numbers. It is known that these birds make burrows in the 
ground, like rabbits ; that they lay one or two enormous eggs in 
these holes, and bring up their young there. In the evening, they 
come in from sea, having their stomachs filled with a gelatinous sub- 
stance gathered from the waves ; and this they eject into the throats 
of their offspring, or retain for their own nourishment, according to 
circumstances. A little after sunset, the air at Preservation Island 
used to be darkened with their numbers ; and it was generally an 
