d
the rocky face of the hill to examine the interesting memorials that were
affixed to the post; but found to our great mortification that they had
been removed; the only vestige that remained was the nails by which they
had been secured. One of the posts was about two feet high and evidently
made of the wood of the callitris, that grows upon Rottnest Island; it
appeared to have been broken down; the other was still erect and seemed
to have been either the heel of a ship's royal-mast or part of a
studding-sail boom; upon one side of it a flag had been fastened by
nails. A careful search was made all round but, as no signs of the Dutch
plate or of the more recent French inscription were seen, it was
conjectured that they had been removed by the natives; but since our
return to England I have learnt that they are preserved in the Museum of
the Institute at Paris, where they had been deposited by M. De Freycinet
upon his return from his late voyage round the world. After this
disappointment we returned to the sea-beach, whilst Mr. Cunningham
botanised along the summit of the ridge; and before he rejoined us we had
been fortunate enough to find two very fine turtles, and a large quantity
of turtle-eggs. The animals had been left by the tide in holes of the
rocks, from which we had some difficulty in extricating them. During our
absence from the vessel our people had been very successful with the hook
and line, having caught about five or six dozen snappers, besides some of
the genus tetradon.

This seasonable supply and the probability of our procuring more turtles
from the beach induced me to remain here a few days to perform some
trifling repairs that could not be effected at sea. We were also
prevented from moving, from the unfavourable state of the weather; for it
was blowing a gale of wind all the time we remained; but as our people
were living upon fresh food the time was not considered as lost.

January 22.

The next morning fifty turtles were turned, but as we could not convey
them all on board forty were left on shore upon their backs for the
night: upon landing the next morning they were all found dead, having
killed themselves by their exertions to escape, and from their exposure
to the heat of the sun which was so great during the day that I did not
send any of the people on shore. We found, however, no difficulty in
procuring more, some of which weighed four hundredweight.

The shore of this bay is fronted