Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/81

 coasts o auras. 27 tained also a small portion of earth, which gave it a strong resemblance to brick-dust. The country is slightly sprinkled with a stunted ve- getation, and bore a most desert.like appearance; and on the shore we noticed a few mangrove bushes. . The sea was' abundantly stocked with fish and turtle, though it did not appear to be the season for the latter to lay their eggs. An immense shark was hooked, but it broke the hook and escaped: its length was about twelve feet, of an ashy.gray co]our, spotted all over with darker marks; the belly was white, and the nose short; it was altogether different from any we had before seen. The impression of what appeared to have been an emu's foot was noticed upon the sand, there is reason, however, to think we may have been deceived; we never afterwards saw one of those birds on the north coast. The country was covered with immense ant- hi]la; one that Mr. Cunningham measured was eight feet high, and nearly twenty-six in circum- ' ference; but on breaking it up, he found it to be deserted by its constructors: an iguana, which was hunted by that gentleman, took refuge in one of these hills, which proved a safe asylum, for, although he broke a great part down, it escaped.