Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/181

] of reddih, and ometimes greyih and. In ome places it conited of an argillaceous kind of earth, which imbibing the water with great facility, forms itelf into bogs; in others this earth has been wahed away by the water filtrating through the ground, o as to form pools, and ometimes deep holes, the urface of which being covered with plants, one does not eaily apprehend any danger in approaching them, but by the inadvertency of a ingle moment may fall into them unawares. An accident of this kind happened to the urgeon of the Eperance, who, whilt he was a-hunting, et his foot upon what he took to be firm ground, and fell into a very deep bog. He immediately diappeared; but fortunately he was able to wim.

We found ome rudiments of huts in thee woods, coniting of a frame-work made of the branches of young trees, and deigned to be afterwards filled up with pieces of the bark, which the natives always ue to cover the outide of their cabins.

I gathered everal pecies of the eucalyptus, during this excurion; amongt others, that which White has denominated eucalyptus reinifera. This is a very tall tree, the pungy bark of which is often three inches in thicknes, and eparates very eaily from the trunk. It produces a gum rein, of