or 34 degrees the land in general is low and level, with very few
Hills or Mountains; further to the Northward it may in some places be
called a Hilly, but hardly anywhere can be called a Mountainous, Country,
for the Hills and Mountains put together take up but a small part of the
Surface in Comparison to what the Planes and Valleys do which intersect
or divide these Hills and Mountains. It is indifferently well water'd,
even in the dry Seasons, with small brooks and Springs, but no great
Rivers, unless it be in the Wet Season, when the low lands and Vallies
near the Sea, I do suppose, are mostly laid under Water. The Small Brooks
may then become large Rivers; but this can only happen with the Tropick.
It was only in Thirsty Sound that we could find no fresh Water, and that
no doubt was owing to the Country being there very much intersected with
Salt Creeks and Mangrove land.

The low land by the Sea, and even as far in land as we were, is for the
most part friable, loose, sandy Soil yet indifferently fertile, and
Cloathed with woods, long grass, shrubs, plants, etc. The Mountains or
Hills are checquer'd with woods and Lawns; some of the Hills are wholy
cover'd with Flourishing Trees; others but thinly, and the few that are
upon them are small, and the spot of Lawns or Savannahs are rocky and
barren, especially to the Northward, where the Country did not afford or
produce near the Vegetation that it does to the Southward, nor were the
Trees in the Woods half so tall and stout. The Woods do not produce any
great variety of Trees; there are only 2 or 3 sorts that can be called
Timber. The largest is the gum Tree, which grows all over the country;
the wood of this Tree is too hard and ponderous for most common uses. The
Tree which resembles our Pines I saw nowhere in perfection but in Botany
Bay; this wood, as I have before observed, is something of the same
Nature as American Live Oak; in short, most of the large Trees in this
Country are of a hard and ponderous nature, and could not be applied to
many purposes. Here are several sorts of the Palm kind, Mangrove, and
several other sorts of small Trees and Shrubs quite unknown to me,
besides a very great number of Plants hitherto unknown; but these things
are wholy out of my way to describe, nor will this be of any loss, since
not only plants, but every thing that can be of use to the Learned World
will be very accurately described by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander. The Land
na