cely sufficient to keep ourselves and our things dry. But in the
morning of the 15th, all nature seemed refreshed; and my depressed
spirits rose quickly, under the influence of that sweet breath of
vegetation, which is so remarkably experienced in Australia, where the
numerous Myrtle family, and even their dead leaves, contribute so largely
to the general fragrance. This day we travelled about six miles to the W.
N. W.

Our course, however, was for three miles to the northward, over a sandy
level forest, intercepted by several rocky creeks. The third which we
came to, I followed down to the westward, and came to a large creek,
which soon joined a still larger one from the eastward. Both were well
provided with water; and we encamped at a very large hole under a ledge
of rock across the bed of the creek; and which probably formed a fine
waterfall during the rainy season.

Thunder-storms formed to the southward and northward; but we had only a
few drops of rain. It was remarkable to observe that those to the
southward vered round to the south-west by west, whereas those to the
northward veered round to the north-east and east.

Nov. 16.--We travelled nine miles north-west by north; crossed numerous
rocky creeks, and some undulating country; and had a most distressing
passage over exceedingly rocky ranges. At the end of the stage, we came
to a large Pandanus creek, which we followed until we found some fine
pools of water in its bed. My companions had, for several days past,
gathered the unripe fruits of Coniogeton arborescens, Br.; which, when
boiled, imparted an agreeable acidity to the water, and when thus
prepared tasted tolerable well. When ripe, they became sweet and pulpy,
like gooseberries, although their rind was not very thick. This
resemblance induced us to call the tree "The little Gooseberry tree." At
the table land, and along the upper South Alligator River, it was a tree
from twenty-five to thirty feet high, with a fresh green shady foliage;
but, at the Cobourg Peninsula, it dwindled into a low shrub. The fruit
was much esteemed there by the natives; for, although the tree was of
smaller size, the fruit was equally large and fine.

Nov. 17.--We travelled four or five miles through Banksia, and
Melaleuca-gum forest, crossed several rocky creeks; and followed down the
largest of them; which in its whole extent was exceedingly rocky. The
rock was generally in horizontal layers. There were many high falls in