OYSTER BEDS. 
195 
and a half to the west is another small hole of better 
flavoured water, but not so abundant in its supply. 
I found all the horses in excellent condition, and 
one, a very fine mare of my own, had foaled about 
six weeks before. Around the camp were immense 
piles of oyster shells, pretty plainly indicating the 
feasting my men had enjoyed during my absence, 
whilst their strong and healthy appearance shewed 
how well such fare had agreed with them. The 
oysters were procured from the most southerly bight 
of Streaky Bay, on some mud banks about two or 
three hundred yards below low water mark, where 
they are found in immense numbers and of different 
sizes. The flavour of these oysters was excellent, 
and the smaller ones were of great delicacy. The 
men were in the habit of taking a cart down to the 
beach frequently, where, by wading up to their 
knees in the sea at low water, they were enabled to 
fill it. This supply lasted for two or three days. 
Many drays might easily be loaded, one after the 
other, from these oyster beds. The natives of the 
district do not appear to eat them, for I never could 
find a single shell at any of their encampments. It 
is difficult to account for the taste or prejudice of 
the native, which guides him in his selection or re- 
jection of particular kinds of food. What is eaten 
readily by the natives in one part of Australia is left 
untouched by them in another, thus the oyster is 
eaten at Sydney, and I believe King George’s 
Sound, but not at Streaky Bay. The unio or fresh- 
o 2 
