THE HISTORY OF ZOOLOGY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
6l 
Lizards ; and my Men saw two or three Beasts like hungry 
Wolves, lean like so many Skeletons, being nothing but Skin and 
Bones : 'Tis probable that it was the Foot of one of those Beasts 
that I mention'd as seen by us in N. Holland. We saw a Rackoon 
or two [wallabies ?], and one small speckled Snake. 
“ The Land-fowls that we saw here were Crows (just such as 
ours in England), small Hawks, and Kites ; a few of each sort : 
But here are plenty of small Turtle-Doves, that are plump, fat 
and very good Meat. Here are two or three sorts of smaller 
Birds, some as big as Larks, some less ; but not many of either 
sort. The Sea-Fowl are Pelicans, Boobies, Noddies, Curlews, 
See-pies, etc., and but few of these neither. 
“ The Sea is plentifully stock’d with the largest Whales that 
1 ever saw ; but not to compare with the vast ones of the Northern 
Seas. We saw also a great many Green Turtle, but caught none ; 
here being no place to set a Turtle- Net in ; here being no Channel 
for them, and the Tides running so strong. We saw some Sharks 
and Parracoots ; and with Hooks anil Lines we caught some 
Rock-fish and Old- Wives. Of Shell-fish, here were Oysters- 
both of the common kind for Eating, and of the Pearl kind : And 
also Wilks, Conchs, Muscles, Limpits, Perriwinkles, etc., and I 
gathered a few strange Shells ; chiefly a sort not large, and 
thick-set all about with Rays or Spikes growing in Rows.” 
They continued to coast eastwards until the 7th September. 
” This day we saw two Water-Snakes, different in Shape from 
such as we had formerly seen. The one was very small, though 
long ; the other long and as big as a Man’s Leg, having a red 
Head ; which I never saw any have, before or since.” 
By this time they were badly in need of fresh water, and 
found it difficult to approach the land because of the numerous 
shoals. “ On the 8th of September, therefore, shaping our 
course for Timor, we were in Lat. 15 de. 37 m. We had 26- 
Fathom ; and we saw one Whale. We found them lying most 
commonly near the Shore, or in Shoal Water.” On the 12th 
they passed a small sandy island in 13 d. 55 m. ” We had 
Abundance of Boobies and Man of War Birds flying about us all 
the Day ; especially when we came near the Island ; which had 
also Abundance of them upon it ; though it was but a little Spot 
of Land, scarce a Mile round.” 
They reached Timor on September 15th, and later proceeded 
to New Guinea, where they discovered the straits separating 
New Guinea from New Britain, which they named and circum- 
navigated. From this point they returned by way of Ceram,. 
Batavia and the Cape of Good Hope, but at Ascension the ship 
foundered, apparently from old age. They all got to land and a 
fortnight later were rescued and reached England safely. 
