Volume I Part 9 (1/2)

January 27

A strong party was sent on shore, early thisa well, should the search for water upon the surface prove abortive It was at once found that this operation ought forthwith to be co spot was selected in a valley not half a ain in force upon the heights, and seereatest interest:nothing of the day, but on the third they sees, that they approached so near as to keep the party pretty much upon the alert

FIRE A CONGREVE ROCKET

It was, therefore, deterive the any injury upon their persons or property; and, accordingly, shortly after dark we fired a Congreve rocket from the shi+p, and in a direction immediately over their presuing operations, though ultimately unsuccessful, proceeded without further annoyance

CONDUCT OF THE NATIVES

Two or three days afterwards a s the seine; and tee is easily won by his that do show so fair as delicacies in the gastronomic department--they approached us, and were very friendly in their ly contrived always to keep the upper or inland side of the beach We made them some presents of beads, etc from the stores supplied by the Admiralty for that purpose, but they received the to apathy They very closely exao, who submitted to be handled by these much-dreaded Northern men with a very rueful countenance, and afterwards construed the way in which one of theently stroked his beard, into an attele hinity which, when safe on board, he resented by repeated threats, uttered in a sort of wild chant, of spearing their thighs, backs, loins, and, indeed, each individual portion of the fra the eyes almost closed, and the head thrown back, in order to avoid the plague of flies, under which this country seems to suffer, adds to the unpleasant expression of their countenance, and quite justifies the correctness of Dampier's account: ”Their eyelids are always half-closed, to keep the flies out of their eyes, they being so troubleso to one's face; and without the assistance of both hands to keep them off, they will creep into one's nostrils, and mouth too, if the lips are not shut very close; so that fro thus annoyed with these insects, they do never open their eyes as do other people, and therefore they cannot see far unless they hold up their heads, as if they were looking at somewhat over them” We found constant occasion, when on shore, to complain of this fly nuisance; and when combined with their allies, the mosquitoes, no human endurance could, with any patience, sub into your eyes, up your nostrils, and down your throat, with the most irresistible perseverance; and no sooner do they, froive up the attack, than they are relieved by the musquitos, who completely exhaust the patience which their predecessors have so severely tried It may seem absurd to my readers to dwell upon such a subject; but those, who, liketo death, will not wonder, that even at this distance of tiust to the recollection

The natives, in all parts of the continent alike, seem to possess very primitive notions upon the subject of habitation; their wahbourhood of English settleree to i these northern people, the only approach to anything like protection froht rudely thatched covering, placed on four upright poles, between three and four feet high

Another, of a much superior description, which I visited on the western shore of King's Sound, will be found delineated in that part of s

WIND AND WEATHER

February 10

We ree until the 10th of February, in consequence of a continuance of bad weather; indeed, the rain during the three first days of that month was at times of the mostvery fresh, kept veering froreeable variety, a heavy squall would take us froh more commonly from West-South-West The only certainty that we could calculate upon, was, that at North-North-West the ould reot there, stationary for a few hours The thunder and lightning, the for peal, and the latter of theand flashi+ng over our heads; and, with the stor deep around woke on these unknown and inhospitable shores, completed a scene that I shall never cease to reled eht The rain, however, certainly befriended us in more ways than one: it cooled the atmosphere, which would else have been insufferably hot, died torh ultie, it did exceedingly well for washi+ng purposes We had also, during this time, one most successful haul with the seine, which amply supplied us with fresh fish for that and the two following days; the greater part were a kind of large hed six pounds five ounces, and th

TIDAL PHENOMENON

On the saular phenoh-water the strea heaped up in the bay by the force of the wind, fell only sixteen, instead of twenty-four feet

Several sporting excursions werethis period, but with comparatively little success It is not a country naturally very abundant in gaaroos, which are numerous, but so harassed by the natives as to be of course extremely shy of the approach of man

SINGULAR KANGAROO

However, Mr Bynoe succeeded in shooting one which possessed the singular appendage of a nail, like that on a ret that we had no subsequent opportunity to decide whether this was one of a new species of the Macropodidae faht of this singular anith of body froth of tail froht: 13 pounds

(Footnote This aniuifer, and is now deposited in the British Museum One precisely siulf of Carpentaria)

We also saw soot near enough to secure one; they were apparently identical with a new race, of which I afterwards procured a specimen at Barrow's Island

(Footnote Osphranter isabellinus Gould)

One day, when I had penetrated some considerable distance into the bush, farther indeed than any of our party had strayed before, I saw a large bustard, but was unable to get a shot at hiaze had detected me, at the saht at the ti resemblance to the wild turkey of the colonists in the southern parts of the continent We were lucky enough to shoot several quails of apparently quite a new species

In one particular they differed fro no hind toe Goannas and lizards were plentiful in this neighbourhood, and some of the latter in particular were most brilliant in colour: they ran down the tall trees, in which they seereat portion of their lives, at our approach, with a round, were soon in safety