h water
at last, whereupon the strained muscles of the body gradually relaxed,
and it was delightful to be once more upon an even keel. At sea the
human body is constantly struggling in the vain effort to preserve its
equilibrium. During our short but tumultuous voyage across Bass Strait
our steamer was often surrounded by a great variety of sea-birds,--among
which were the Cape-pigeon, the stormy petrel, and the gannet, which
last is the largest of ocean birds next to the albatross. On drawing
still nearer to the shore flocks of pelicans were observed upon the
rocks, and that most awkward of birds, the penguin, was seen in idle
groups. The penguin is a good swimmer, but his apologetic wings are not
intended for flying. As these birds stand upright, they always suggest
the unpleasant idea of men with arms amputated above the elbows.

The winding Tamar with its tree-covered islands, green headlands, and
bold background of undulating hills affords a varied and beautiful
picture. Beyond the nearest range of hills was seen a second and much
higher series, whose tops were covered with snow. Our passage of the
Strait had been partly made in the night, and as we entered the mouth of
the river the sun rose, turning these frosty peaks into sparkling
crowns. The rise and fall of the tide in the Tamar is quite remarkable,
being characterized by a difference of some fourteen feet.

It is singular that no enthusiastic traveller has written of the great
beauty of this river of Tasmania, which deserves the highest
appreciation for its natural loveliness and interesting variety of
scenery. True, it has the disadvantage of extreme tides, which at one
hour of the day expand it into broad, lake-like proportions, and at
another reduce it to a narrow, intricate channel, disfigured by
unsightly mud-banks and half-submerged ledges; but nevertheless, for a
large portion of the twenty-four hours it is a scene of diversified
beauty. Even when the receding tide has left so much of rock and soil
uncovered, one is rendered picturesque by varied birdlife, and the other
by large reaches of bright-green sea-vegetation. Here and there isolated
houses dot the shore, surrounded by well-cultivated fields,--not
temporary cabins, such as prevail through the inland districts of
Australia, but neat and permanent structures, consisting of comfortable
dwellings and large barns, with other appropriate buildings. These barns
signify the necessity in Tasmania of