Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 2.djvu/32

 garoo was se/m by Mr. Cuoningham feeding upon the gTass, but fled the moment that it saw him approaching. Nothing more was seen of the natives, nor we any heard, or suspected of being near us; had there been any number the party would have been placed in'an awkward situation, for upon landing, they all incautiously, and very impru- dently, separated, to amuse themselves as they were inclined, without regarding the situation of the boat, which was soon le/t dry by the ebbing tide; and it was eight o'clock at night before they succeeded in !n-hlng her. Immediately  its return, for which we had been waiting four hours, we got underweigh, and were only just /n time to save the breeze, which carried us out into the offing: after a short calm, the wind gra- dually freshened from S.S.W., and we steered on under easy sail towards Cape Tribulation. On passing the cape two reefs were seen to sea- ward, which had previously escaped our notice. In the afternoon we anchored in ten fathoms, at about half a mile from the north-west end of the reef that stretches for two miles to the north. ward of the south westernmost Hope Island; and, as it was low water and the reef uncovered, �we walked.across it. It is formed principally of coral, on the surface of which we found the

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