184 
A VOYAGE TO 
[South Coast 
1802. Alas, for the pelicans ! Their golden age is past ; but it has much 
Simdaj'4. exceeded in duration that of man. 
I named this piece of water Pelican Lagoon. It is also fre- 
quented by flocks of the pied shag, and by some ducks and gulls ; * 
and the shoals supplied us with a few oysters. The surrounding 
country is almost every where thickly covered with brush wood ; 
and the soil appeared to be generally of a good quality, though not 
deep. Prospect Hill and the parts around it are more sandy ; and 
there seemed to be swamps at the head of both branches of the 
lagoon. The isthmus which separates the southern branch from the 
sea, is low ; but rises gradually up the cliffs of the coast. 
Not being able to return on board the same night, we slept 
near the entrance of the lagoon. It was high water by the shore, 
Monday 5. on the morning of the 5th, at six o'clock ; but on comparing this 
with the swinging of the ship, it appeared that the tide had then been 
running more than an hour from the westward. The rise in the 
lagoon seemed to be from four to eight feet. 
A few kanguroos had been obtained during my absence, as 
also some seal skins ; but one of the sailors having attacked a large 
seal incautiously, received a very severe bite in the leg, and was 
n laid up. After all the researches now made in the island, it appeared 
\ that the kanguroos were much more numerous at our first landing 
I place, near Kanguroo Head, than elsewhere in the neighbourhood. 
I That part of the island was clearer of wood than most others ; and 
there were some small grass plats which seemed to be particularly 
I attractive, and were kept very bare. Not less than thirty emus or 
cassowaries were seen at different times ; but it so happened that 
they were fired at only once, and that ineffectually. They were 
most commonly found near the longest of the small beaches to the 
eastward of Kanguroo Head, at the place represented in the annexed 
plate ; where some little drainings of water oozed from the rocks. 
It is possible, that with much time and labour employed in digging, 
water might be procured there to supply a ship ; and I am sorry to 
