sions
their tracks were impressed in the mud on some plains lying on the banks
of Glenelg River; and Mr. Dring, of H.M.S. Beagle, informed me that,
whilst that vessel was employed in the survey of Fitzroy River, about
seventy miles to the southward of the former, he not only several times
saw traces of them but that, on one occasion when he was in the bush, two
of them passed within a few yards of him. They may, I conceive, therefore
be considered as inhabitants of this part of the continent.

ALLIGATORS.

No alligators were seen by the land party in any of the rivers of
North-western Australia, but the crew of the schooner saw one in Hanover
Bay. I can however safely assert from my own experience that they are by
no means numerous upon this coast. At the islands of Timor and Roti
however they abound.

TURTLES.

Turtles were abundant on the coast, and a freshwater tortoise was found
inland.

PLANTS.

Amongst the vegetable kingdom I shall only observe generally that the
Calamus, or rattan, which in King's voyage* is considered to be peculiar
to the primary granitic formation on the east coast, is abundant in the
interior of the north-west between latitude 15 and 17 degrees south.

(*Footnote. Appendix, volume 2.)

I found a dwarf cabbage-palm between 15 and 16 degrees south latitude,
always in moist situations in the neighbourhood of streams, although not
immediately on the banks.

Of the family of Urticeae many species of Ficus were observed.

The Banksia, common to Swan River, and bearing a yellow flower, is to be
found in many of the valleys on the north-west coast; thus appearing to
form an exception to Mr. Cunningham's observation inserted in Captain
King's voyage,* wherein he says:

Viewing the general distribution of Banksia, it is a singular fact in the
geographical distribution of this genus that its species, which have been
traced through almost every meridian of the south coast, upon the islands
in Bass Strait, in Van Diemen's Land, and widely scattered throughout the
whole extent of New South Wales to the north coast, at which extreme
Banksia dentata has been observed as far west as longitude 136 degrees
south, should be wholly wanting on the line of the north-west coast.

(*Footnote. Ibid.)

I observed a great variety of plants of the order Leguminosae.

Of the extraordinary Capparis resembling the African Adansonia I have
already spoken in Chapter 6.

A species of Callitris (Pine) was co