Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/365

 '/s eli as the recent 'track of kangaroos. Thel !lO only animal that we saw, during our excursion, S. ept.: : was a small kangaroo-rat; it was skipping about the rocks near the sea. A ravine, of.'appearance the most layoutable for our search for water', was selected from a great many. as most'likely to afford it; and we landed for that purpose; but we met with our usual bad success; torrents had once poured down it, the effects of which alone were lelY. Recent traces of kangaroos were again seen here: these animals can require but little drink, unless the' dew that is nightly de[, '.' posited is sufcient for the purpose of quenching their thirst, for we did not see a drop of fresh water in any part we .landed at. We reached the vessel a short time before sunset, and terminated the exam/nation of this gulf, which, at one time, bore so flattering an ap. pearance, as to leave little doubt of our being able to complete our water, and that even with 'fadlity. I felt So much disappoin/ed, that two or three small openings, which probably served but to drain the'vast plains of inundated country that environ the hills on the shores of this gulf, were passed by unheeded; among which was the extensive branch that trended to the south- east, under Mount Connexion; this'opening .ap-

�