Page:Extracts from the letters and journals of George Fletcher Moore.djvu/181

 Rh 3rd.—Went to the hills in rear of my place in search of kangaroos with Mr. Burgess, jun.; we had six dogs, and traversed a very picturesque glen, through which Colonel Latour's Brook, as it is called, winds its way.

This glen diverges into three distinct branches, apparently of no great extent; but in this we may be mistaken, for these valleys frequently contract in some places and expand again beyond expectation. The sides of those we have just seen are very precipitous, and formed of granite, which in huge masses covers the bottom; pools are here and there, but no continuous streams, I should suppose, in summer. The result of our sport was, one kangaroo, weighing thirty pounds, and an eagle. We hung the kangaroo on a tree until our return, and carried it home on our backs in rather a droll way. Fancy the legs round your neck, the thighs resting on your shoulders, the head dangling at your heels, and the tail bobbing over your head. We also caught a young kangaroo rat, which I have still alive; it is soon a tame thing, very like a kangaroo in miniature; but with a head larger in proportion, and with hair or fur of coarser texture. We saw several old huts of natives; eleven in one place, seven in another, with fur and feathers strewed upon the ground.

4th.—The storm has entirely abated, and the day is mild. One of the peculiarities of this