362 CHANGE IN CHARACTER OF COUNTRY. 
the practicability of collecting water from the dew. I 
had often heard from the natives that they were in the 
habit of practising this plan, but had never before 
actually witnessed its adoption. It was, however, 
very cold work, and completely wet me through from 
head to foot, a greater quantity of water by far 
having been shaken over me, from the bushes, than 
I was able to collect with my sponge. The natives 
make use of a large oblong vessel of bark, which 
they hold under the branches, whilst they brush 
them with a little grass, as I did with the sponge ; 
the water thus falls into the trough held for it, 
and which, in consequence of the surface being so 
much larger than the orifice of a quart pot, is pro- 
portionably sooner filled. After the sun once rises, 
the spangles fall from the boughs, and no more water 
can be collected; it is therefore necessary to be 
at work very early, if success is an object of im- 
portance. 
The morning was very hazy, and at first nothing 
could be seen of the country before us ; but as the 
mist gradually cleared away a long point was seen to 
the south-west, but so very distant that I felt certain 
our horses never would get there if it lay between 
us and the water. To our astonishment they kept 
moving steadily along the beach, which was tolerably 
firm near the sea, in which were many reefs and 
shelves of rocks, covered with muscles below low 
water mark. As we progressed, it was evident that 
the country was undergoing a considerable change ; 
