86

FATE OF TWO OF THE DOGS.

more striking than this singular and novel scene; and we were all delighted as we wound our way up the beautiful ravine.

The same character continued for the next mile or two, whilst occasionally branch valleys of similar character ran off from the main one, giving it at these points a much greater width. The summit of the cliffs was found to be generally a rocky sandy table land, thinly wooded; and from what I had seen it appeared to me, that I was not likely to find a place better adapted for landing the stores than the main ravine.

On embarking to return, we could perceive no sign of One-Tree Island; and as we swept down towards the sea, the leafy top of a tree seen in the clear water under the boat was the only evidence of its existence; though a few hours ago it had formed so prominent an object.

The long-boat returned to the vessel half an hour after us, and brought eighty gallons of water; but the spot whence it was obtained had been found very inconvenient for the purpose. At the waterhole they had met Ranger, the dog we lost the first day; but he appeared quite mad, and without recognising any of them ran wildly away into the woods. The body of poor Ringhalz was also found, who had died on the spot where he fell.

December 6.—A party landed with me soon after dawn, at the same point as yesterday, for the purpose of selecting the spot at which to fix our temporary encampment. We traced the valley for about

PREPARATIONS FOR ENCAMPING.

87

four miles, through scenery precisely similar to that which we had found before; many branch valleys ran off from the main one, and differed from it in no other respect, but that they were much narrower. The most favourable spot I could find for our purpose was distant about half a mile from the landing place, and situated at the junction of two valleys, upon a neck of land which ran out from the base of the cliffs. This was the nearest point to the sea, at which we should have been safe from any sudden inundation; it combined, moreover, the advantages of affording a good supply of food and water for the stock, of not being within reach of missiles thrown from the cliffs, and at the same time of being situated close to an easy ascent to their summit. I should have preferred pitching the encampment on the table land at the top, but the labour of carrying the stores up so precipitous an ascent would have been too great for the men, and would have delayed our movements for a longer time than I thought prudent.

Having selected the point for our encampment, the next task was to form a pathway to and from the landing-place; and this, on account of the rocky, broken nature of the ground, was one of no slight difficulty. We first set fire to the bush, and being thus enabled to see our way a little, we commenced moving the rocks and stones, and continued this operation until near sunset, when we returned on board.

December 7.-We landed again early this

morning, and went on working at the pathway. The men dined on shore at noon, about which time it was nearly low water. We had repeatedly seen footmarks of the natives in the mud, and this probably was a favourite fishing resort of theirs, for this day they came upon the cliffs over our heads, and shouted at us, as if to try and frighten us away. Finding, however, that this produced no effect, they threw down some large stones at us, and then decamped.

In the course of the night (2 A.M.) we had one of those sudden heavy squalls from off the land, which are so common on this coast. I slept on deck, and was called to hear a loud roaring on the shore this was evidently the noise of a rushing wind, which gradually drew nearer and nearer, and at last reached us, accompanied by lightning, thunder, and heavy rain; it did not, however, last for more than twenty minutes, and we received no damage from it.

December 8.-Whilst the party continued the pathway, I landed on the sandy beach, and explored the interior of the country for several miles. We found but very little fresh water, and the country was dreadfully burnt up; the heavy rain which had fallen last night, however, gave signs of the approach of the wet season. We passed several dry water-courses, in many of which we dug for it, but all that we obtained was brackish. We had another squall this afternoon, similar to last night's.

December 9.--This day we pitched the tents,

stores.

LANDING STOCK.

89

disembarked the sheep and goats, and some of the It was no slight pleasure to see for the first time those animals landed on a new country, and they appeared themselves to rejoice in their escape from the close confinement on shipboard.

We here first hoisted the British flag, and went through the ceremony of taking possession of the territory in the name of Her Majesty and her heirs for ever.

The next few days were passed in moving the stores from the landing-place to the tent; as it was necessary that before I allowed the schooner to start we should be amply provided with all necessaries, so as to be able to maintain ourselves for some time, in the event of anything happening to the vessel this was very fatiguing work for the whole party, but they all exerted themselves with the most strenuous energy, especially Mr. Lushington; and our labours were varied by several amusing novelties, which relieved the monotony of the employment.

Sometimes as we sat at our dinner near the landing-place, we watched a strange species of fish (genus Chironectes, Cuv.) These little animals are provided with arms, at least with members shaped like such as far as the elbow, but the lower part resembles a fin; they are amphibious, living equally well on the mud or in the water; in moving in the mud, they walk, as it were, on their elbows, and the lower arm or fin then projects like a great splay foot; but in swimming, the whole of this ap

90

REMARKABLE FISH.

paratus is used as a fin. They have also the property of being able to bury themselves almost instantaneously in the soft mud when disturbed. The uncouth gambols and leaps of these anomalous creatures were very singular.

Another remarkable fish was a species of mullet, which being left by the retreat of the high tides in the pools beyond the rounded rocks at the head of the landing-place, was obliged to change its element from salt to fresh water, which by a very remarkable habit it appeared to do without suffering any inconvenience. The natural hue of this fish was a very pale red, but when they had been for some time in the fresh water this reddish tinge became much deeper, and when of this colour, I have found them in streams a considerable distance from the sea, as if, like our salmon, they had quitted it for the purpose of spawning. Indeed birds, insects, and all things we saw, were so new and singular, that our attention was kept constantly excited by the varied objects which passed before us.

December 11.-I went on board in the morning for the purpose of preparing my letters, and about 10 A.M., it was reported to me that a party of natives had come down to one of the sandy beaches, and were fishing there. I immediately went upon deck, and saw four natives in the sea opposite to the beach, running about and fishing. Captain Browne went on shore at once with me, to try and parley with them, but as we approached the land they ran away; we remained for some time on