Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/228

208 future time add everal new pecies to the claes of zoology. A pinal vertebra, that was found in the interior part of the country, the body of which was about four inches in diameter, gives reaon to believe that very large quadrupeds will ome time be dicovered here.

A very heavy rain, which overtook us about the middle of the day, obliged us to halt. We heltered ourelves in the hollow trunk of a large tree that was upwards of twenty-four feet in circumference. We attempted to kindle a fire in it after the manner of the New Hollanders, but the moke oon drove us from our retreat.

We endeavoured to penetrate into parts which we had not yet viited. A glade, at which we arrived, eemed to conduct us towards the north-eat plain. We had only three hours of the day before us. A teep acent impeded our journey, large trees heaped one upon another obtructed the path, and the hrubs, to which the moiture that prevails in thee forets, give an uncommonly luxuriant growth, increaed the difficulties we had to encounter. Amongt thee hrubs was a beautiful pecies of polypodium, the tem of which grows to the height of twelve feet.