398 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1820. diffuses a strong aromatic odour, which quality 
Sept. 6 . it possesses, as it were, to counterbalance the 
annoying effects of its prickly foliage. 
7. The next day Mr. Bedwell examined a small 
inlet at the bottom of the bay. It proved to be 
merely a salt-water creek, bounded by rocks 
and mangroves. Traces of natives were ob- 
served ; and he brought on board with him the 
remains of a fish-pot, nine feet long, made of 
strips of fiagellaria indica, but so imperfect and 
disfigured, that we could not readily convince 
ourselves either of its particular construction or 
use. In the evening we found a few gallons of 
water in a hollow near the beach upon the south 
shore of the strait. During Mr. Bedwell’s ab- 
sence, a hot land-wind from S.E. sprung up, and 
raised the temperature to 90 °. 
The peculiar verdure of the vegetation in all 
parts hereabout, was a proof that this part of the 
country had suffered less from drought than the 
coast to the eastward. The traces of a small 
species of kangaroo were found in every part, 
but our appearance had frightened them away. 
The food of this animal appeared to be prin- 
cipally the seeds and leaves of an acacia, which 
they reach easily from the rocks. 
Mr. Cunningham, who was as usual most inde- 
fatigable in adding to his collection, observed one 
