THE ABROLHOS ISLANDS.

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I was

establish themselves upon some of them. rather surprised to find a few plants of the common groundsel on one of the barest. It is not improbable that these islets are upon the outer rim of the crater of a volcano, and that not only the entire outer rim, but also a large space, both interior and exterior, will eventually be elevated. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the different sorts of coral, as seen under the clear smooth water. We broke off many specimens of the branch or tree coral, which seemed to be in full vigour of life and activity. These islets appear to be a favourite resort of seals, many of which we saw, but of the sort called hair seals. The sailors knocked many of them upon the head with clubs as they lay sleeping on the shores. One of these afforded much sport, though rather of a barbarous sort, if one had taken time to think at all on the subject. Sleeping on the brink of a small lagoon in the interior of one of these islands, he was roused by the approaching footsteps of his enemy. Seeing the man close to him, with upraised club over his head, he dropped into the water. This was so shallow as not to protect him from the stones that were hurled at him from all sides, and so small that he was completely surrounded. Finding his retreat cut off, he boldly stood up and seemed deliberately to scan the most practicable mode of breaking his way through us all, but he was so incessantly plied with stones as entirely to distract him. When a well-aimed blow struck him, he wreaked his vengeance on the stone, and, diving after it to the bottom, gnashed upon it

with his teeth. At last a gun was brought by one of the party, and a well-directed shot under the ear laid him dead. Rock oysters, of a large size and delicious flavour, were found in great abundance. Range of thermometer, 67° to 82°.

"On Sunday, the 12th, continued to explore the several islands; unable to land upon the first we approached, on account of a reef which ran all round it. This was one which lay at the north-east extremity of the Horseshoe. It was high and sandy, but with some vegetation on the surface, and we saw many large seals sleeping on the sandy beach. After this, visited five or six in succession, all of the same formation, some being mere masses of loose coral and dead shells. In passing from island to island, we had many opportunities of observing the different formation and shape of several species of coral; some stood in masses of the brainstone and cockscomb coral, some like petrified sponge, some like fans, some again of the branch coral interlaced and intertwined in every direction; again, some broad flat masses lying layer over layer, like huge sea lichens, again many presented the appearance of a fungus or great sea-mushroom, with a broad-spreading head springing from a small thick base. It is not a little singular that many the growing islets which are nearly level with the surface of the water, have a similar form, not rising from the bottom with a perpendicular side, but with broad overhanging heads resting upon a small base. In many places we passed over some of these isolated

of

COAST UNDER THE MENAI HILLS.

127

sea-mushrooms, upon which there was barely water for a small boat, where one step over the ledge would be in the deep sea, and you might see the hollows underneath, as if looking under an umbrella. Birds were abundant on most of the isles, and on two of them were hawks' nests, raised to the height of four feet by an accumulation of sticks, stones, and shells. This day there was but little breeze; the thermometer ranged from 76° to 86°.

"Saturday morning, January 25.-Stood in close along the shore opposite to the Table Hill and the Menai Hills, and examined the coast from the rigging. There are two openings of rivers laid down in the chart-that to the south being the larger, and both nearly abreast of Table Hill, and only a few miles distant from one another; and besides these, Captain Grey had marked down in another chart a considerable river, with a large estuary, close to the north of the Menai Hills, which he had called the Hutt River. As we were just on that part of the coast where all these are laid down, we were the more anxious and eager. We saw three openings on the west range, but, in truth, very small, and after anchoring nearly opposite to the northern one, we went in the boat directly for it. There was a continuous sandy beach the whole way across it, and the surf was running high, so that it was not very easy to land. Just as we were considering about how to effect a landing, we observed a number of natives on the hills and behind the beach, evidently watching our motions. As we stood along the beach,

looking for a landing-place, they followed and became more bold; they shouted and made gestures, which were certainly not like those of encouragement; but still as we pulled on, they followed, till we counted forty-nine men, but they appeared to have left their spears behind them. Finding this, we thought it well to parley with them, when we backed in close to the shore, holding up our hands, making signs of peace, and calling out in the Swan River language that we were friends, and would give them bread. I flung a piece of biscuit on the beach, and some waded into the water and threw in their fur belts and other ornaments, when we commenced a system of barter immediately. They had no spears, and few throwing sticks; nor had they with them either cloaks, or hammers, or shields, or any other weapon that we could see. They seemed to like the bread very much, for they followed us for many miles, still making signs to land, but the surf was so high, we could not venture in the face of so many of them. At last, having passed the opening of the second river, and having come to a smooth place, I jumped out upon the beach, and was soon followed by the Captain. They evinced a considerable deal of uneasiness at first, and looked with much jealousy at the gun as something suspicious. They wished me to part with it, but I sat down and intimated that I would keep it on the ground beside me. I addressed them in the Swan River native language, and they spoke much in return, but I must say that our language seemed to be mutually unintelligible. At last,

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by watching their mode of intonation, and accommodating myself to their dialect, I managed to succeed a little better. In this way they understood my inquiries for water, and their answer at last was precisely in the Swan River language, Gaipbi jeral,' (water to the north.) Their great anxiety at first seemed to be to know whether we were women. answer, I pointed to our beards, when they pulled

In

their beards, and said, Nanya patta,' by which name I have heard it called at Swan River also. Then they pointed to some young lads in the boat, and asked were they women. No; I said they were golambiddy' (boys), which they seemed to understand. I saw them eating the fruit of the mesembryanthemum (the Hottentot fig), but they did not understand either of the names used for it at Swan River-'golboys,' or 'mejaruk.' They called it by a different name. After a little, they volunteered to take us to water, and we walked along the beach with them, clustering about us with a show of friend

than agreeable.

were we dead?'

ship that was even more familiar One of them repeatedly asked me, at least so I understood him. At length we approached the opening of the river, in which they indicated the water to be, but how were our great hopes disappointed when they led us to a little hole scraped in the bed of the river, containing about a pint of water. We afterwards saw several other holes of the same sort, with more or less water in them; and it will be well to bear in mind that some of these were not fifty yards from the beach, and it is quite