Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/184

174 towards the coat on account of the difficulties that obtructed my paage, which was not only impeded by the underwood, but often rendered impracticable by the tems of large trees thrown down by the wind. The direction in which they lay upon the ground, which was generally from outh-wet to north-eat, proves that they were torn from their roots by violent outh-wet winds. As thee trees hoot out their roots in an almot horizontal direction, they are eaily torn from the ground by the force of the wind, and frequently carry with them a great quantity of earth, which at a ditance appears like a wall raied by the hands of men.

The finet trees in this country are the different pecies of eucalyptus. Their ordinary thicknes is about eighteen feet: I have meaured ome that were twenty-five in circumference. The pongy bark of the eucalyptus reinifera, becoming lippery in conequence of the moiture that contantly prevails in the heart of thee thick forets, renders it till more difficult to penetrate into them. This bark very readily peels off into pieces that have a great degree of flexibility, and are ued by the natives for covering their huts. They often find long tripes of it about a foot in breadth, which pontaneouly hell themelves off from the lower part of the trunk. They might eaily peel it