Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/441

 Rh retreats to the natives. I entered one of the caverns (the walls of which were of a decomposing sand-stone,) having a window formed in it by the falling down of a portion of the side rock. The cave was a large, natural chamber, capacious enough to hold conveniently a large tribe of natives; who, from the numerous fire-places, broken turtle staffs, and other relics had not very long since dwelt there. I also found numerous fragments of quartzose rocks lying about, and pieces of a kind of marble, of a brown co1our, were abundant in the cavities, as well as upon the face of the mount."—(Cunningham MSS.)

Upon leaving Cape Flinders we crossed Princess Charlotte's Bay, and steered at half to three-quarters of a mile within the reef: soon after noon it fell calm, and we anchored under the lee of Pelican Island, and landed upon it to examine an appearance of turtle marks on the sand; they were, however, found to be of an old date.

This island, which does not measure more than two-thirds of a mile in circumference, is surrounded by a considerable reef, and is remarkable for two clumps of trees upon it, that, standing separately, give the appearance, at a distance, of its being two distinct islets. It is, like all the islets near it, little better than a sandy key.