COASTS OP AUSTRALIA. 
157 
trees and plants that grow here were springing 
up, in the prostrate stem of perhaps their parent 
tree ; and it was not rare to see large Huon pines 
of three feet in diameter, rooted in this manner 
on the trunk of a sound tree of even larger dimen- 
sions, that had^ perhaps, been lying on the ground 
for centuries ; while others were observed, in 
appearance sound, and in shape perfect, and also 
covered with moss, which, upon being trod upon, 
fell in and crumbled away. 
The fructification of this tree, so called from 
the river, which was named after Captain Huon 
Kermadie, who commanded L’Esperance under 
the order of Admiral D’Entrecasteaux, never 
having been seen, its detection was matter of 
much curiosity to Mr. Cunningham, who dili- 
gently examined every tree that had been felled. 
It was, however, with some difficulty that he suc- 
ceeded in finding the flower, which was so minute 
as almost to require a magnifying lens to observe 
it ; it is a coniferous tree, and was supposed by 
Mr. Cunningham to be allied to dacrydium. 
Several saplings of this wood were cut for stud- 
ding-sail booms and oars, as also of the podocarpos 
asplcniifolia , LabilL ; this latter tree is known to 
the colonists by the name of “ Adventure Bay 
Pine,” and grows on Bruny Island in Storm Bay ; 
1819 . 
Feb. 
21 — 24 . 
