rate of two miles, and the latter one mile per hour.

March 21.

At length the wished for change arrived, and we again beheld this morning
the deep pure blue of a southern sky. We were all eager to commence our
exploration, and Mr. Usborne, ever anxious to be actively employed, was
so far recovered that he induced the surgeon, though reluctantly, to
allow him to again share in the duties of the survey. He was accordingly
despatched to look for a berth for the ship further to the North-West,
while Captain Wickham and myself went towards Compass Hill. We were
accompanied by Mr. Bynoe, who, during our excursion, was fortunate enough
to add several rare birds to his collection.

EXPLORATION OF THE BAY.

We landed in a small sandy bay at the western end of a growth of
mangroves, fringing the shore behind the islands. The sandbank fronting
them we found to extend to the bay we landed in; to the westward of it
there was deep water close to the shore. Wood and water might easily be
obtained in this bay, a circumstance that may give it value in the eyes
of future navigators, as it did in ours.

Before ascending the hill we crossed a flat clothed with rich grass, out
of which we flushed several Pheasant-cuckoos.* We found one of their
nests on the ground containing four eggs, in size and colour they
resembled the domestic pigeon. The nimble manner in which these birds hop
along the branches of trees, with their long tails whisking behind, give
them, at the first glance, more the appearance of monkeys than birds.

(*Footnote. Centropus Phasianellus.)

A NEW VINE.

We found here the gouty-stem tree of large size, bearing fruit; and also
a vine, which, from all the information I have since been able to
collect, appears to be quite a new specimen;* it bore a small but
well-tasted black berry, similar in shape and general appearance to the
grape sometimes seen climbing over the cottage doors in England. Each
fruit contained three large seeds, in shape and size resembling the
coffee berry. It was growing in a light sandy soil, and the temperature
to which it was exposed varies from 76 to 110 degrees. It is a matter of
great regret that I was not able to introduce this new species of vine
into England; the seeds and specimens of it having been unfortunately
destroyed by mice and insects. I was, however, more fortunate at Sydney
and Swan River.

(*Footnote. From the description I gave of this vine to Sir W. Hooker he
thought i