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SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
isi 9 . more substantially constructed, and more useful 
May 21. as dwellings than any to the southward, and 
will contain eight or ten persons ; while those to 
the southward are seldom large enough to hold 
three ; they are arched over and form a dome, 
with the opening on the land side ; so that they 
are screened from the cold sea-winds, which, 
unless they blow in the character of the sea-breeze, 
are generally accompanied by rain. Kangaroos 
are very numerous, and, from their traces, ap- 
peared of large size ; but we saw neither emus 
nor native dogs. 
As a port, this place will never be the resort of 
vessels of larger burthen than 100 tons, there 
not being more than ten feet water on the bar ; 
which, on account of the swell, will not admit 
vessels of a greater draught than nine feet: 
this is a great drawback upon its prosperity , 
but the small coasting vessels from Sydney will 
be sufficiently large for the purposes of conveying 
produce to Port Jackson. It cannot long remain 
as a penal establishment, for its utility in that 
respect is already lost, since the convicts find 
their way back to the colony as soon as an oppor- 
tunity offers of escaping ; and then, for fear of 
detection, remain concealed in its outskirts, and 
are necessarily driven to plunder and rob for 
subsistence. 
