Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/38

28 provision made us feel a pressing want: but the breeze setting in from the sea disappointed us, by raising the water nearly as high as it would have been at flood tide. Thus we were obliged to content ourselves with our salt provision.

The cascade at South Cape, from which a great deal of water fell into the sea, when Captain Furneaux landed there, was nearly dry at this time. From the marks of its bed, however, it was easy to perceive that its run must be considerable in the rainy season.

We found a dead seal on the shore, of the species called phoca monacus. Two severe contusions on its head gave us reason to suppose, that it had been driven against some rocks by the violence of the waves, which it had not strength to surmount.

Bending our course toward our anchoring-place, we found two large pools to the east-north-east of South Cape; and as we went round them, we saw on their borders several burrows of kangarous. A new species of utricularia displayed its beautiful flowers on the surface of their tranquil waters. I was astonished that these stagnant pools did not exhale a fetid smell, as is usually the case; but it is probable, that the water is speedily renewed by filtering through the ground.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived