164 
SimVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 
1822. garoo were every where abundant, but the ani- 
Jan. 14. mals were not seen. We walked to the east- 
ernmost of the lakes which the French named 
“ Etangs Duvaildaily and which M. de Frey- 
cinet remarks as being surrounded by an exten- 
sive beach, composed entirely of bivalve shells, 
a species of cardium: the quantity was indeed 
extraordinary. The banks were frequented by 
gulls and sand-pipers, of which many were shot. 
The water was found to be perfectly salt, and from 
the circumstance of its rising and falling with the 
tide, it must have some communication with the 
sea. The rocks of the island are principally 
calcareous, and in a very advanced state of de- 
composition. The beaches were covered with 
dead shells of the genera buccinum, bulla, murex, 
trochus, and haliotis ; but we found none with 
the living animal in them. Of the feathered 
tribe, a hawk and a pigeon were the only land- 
birds seen ; but boobies, terns, and sand-pipers 
were very numerous about the shores. Mr. 
Cunningham was fully employed during the 
short time that we were on shore, and, excepting 
the pleasing interest created in our minds by 
landing on an island which has been so seldom 
before seen, and which from Vlaming’s account 
bears a prominent place in the history of this part 
of the coast, he was the only one of the party 
