WET WEATHER. 
73 
the bay, held out great promise that fish could 
readily have been caught. Ducks were also nu- 
merous in the lake, and kangaroos on shore. The 
day turned out very bleak and wet, and we both 
got thoroughly soaked through before we got back to 
the vessel, which was not until about two in the after- 
noon ; I was then obliged to borrow a dry suit from 
the Captain, whilst my own clothes were drying. 
June 5. — From this time until the fourteenth of 
June I remained on board the Mississippi, enjoying 
the hospitality of Captain Rossiter. Wylie went 
out once or twice to try to shoot a kangaroo for the 
ship, but he never succeeded ; he had so much to 
eat on board that he had no stimulus to exertion, 
and did not take the trouble necessary to insure suc- 
cess. During almost the whole of the time that I re- 
mained on board the Mississippi, the weather was 
exceedingly boisterous, cold, and wet, and I could 
not but feel truly thankful that I had not been ex- 
posed to it on shore ; even on board the ship, 
with shelter and extra clothing, I felt very sensibly 
the great change which had taken place in the 
temperature. 
I regretted greatly that during my stay I had 
not the opportunity of seeing a whale caught. 
There was only once an attempt at a chase. In 
this instance three boats were sent out, commanded 
by the Captain and the two mates, but after a con- 
siderable lapse of time, and a long interval of sus- 
pense and anxiety, the fish chased turned out to be a 
