Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/64

 l0 SURVEY OF THE INTERTBOPICAL lss. In the evening I landed with the botanist Jn.'6. and Mr. Roe, but we found little that was worthy of our attention. The basis of the island is granitic, and covered with a shallow soil, formed of decayed vegetable matter, mixed with sand, which nourishes the stunted vege- tation that thickly dothes the surface, particu- larly on the north-eastern, which is its most shel- tered side. No animals were observed, excepting some small quadrupeds, which were momentarily seen' by Mr. Roe, and, from his description, were kangaroo-rats. On Goose Island, the bird from which it takes its name appeared to be abun- dant; but there was too much surf to permit our landing upon it, and we were not so much in want of fresh provisions as to induce our risking any damage to the boats: we found the bones of a whale which had been thrown up on the beach where we landed. The wind in the night veered to N. E. by F, to which quarter the anchorage is much exposed; towards morning it blew fresh, but the anchor �7. held well. At dawn of day, (17th) we got under- weigh and steered through the islands ;. at noon, we were abreast of Termination Island, the lati- tude of which we found to be 84 �. Our friendly wind died away at midnight, and wa

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