Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/376

 314 SURVWr OP  Ilqlt'rltoPlcAr. mm 'perfect enough to give us an idea of its furre, o  and for us to recognise its resemblance to sme we had seen on the East coast. A curious implement was found on the shore, the use of which we could not at all conjecture, un- less it had belonged to the Malays; it was fitteen 'feet long and five inches in diameter, and com- posed of three saplin firmly and dosely united, and covered with grass secured to it by rope .' twisla/d of strips of bark; it might have  a fender for the e of hanging between the 3ll_a_y proas,, when moored together, to preveut their bJg injured by their s'__v]_'_ coming in The shores and hills were thickly scattered over with large masses of a dark red-coloured sand-stone, covered with a crust of quartz; the lat- ter substance was not, however, found in a crys- tallized state. Every thing bore the most parched and arid appearance; the country Was certainly seen by us at the most disadvantageous season; but, although the hills are thickly wooded, the dwarf and stunted habit of the trees is a proof, if we had required it, of the shallow and unproduc*' tire quality of the soil. The smoke of three or four large fires were .noticed on the opposite side of the bay, the flames of which blazed up as the

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