by Europeans, and which must have therefore been
the work of natives.

THE PAINTED QUAIL.

Mr. Bynoe was fortunate enough to procure two pigeons of a new species
(Ptilinopus superbus) and of beautiful colours; the breast being dark
purple, the crown of the head red, and the other parts green; besides one
specimen of a bird, of the same genus as one on the Abrolhos, generally
called a quail, but with this difference, that it only lays four eggs,
whereas quails lay fourteen or fifteen. It is known to the colonists as
the Painted Quail; and has been called by Mr. Gould, from the specimen we
got on Booby Island, Haemipodius melinatus.

CHAPTER 2.8. GULF OF CARPENTARIA.

Leave Booby Island.
Eastern shore of Gulf.
Van Diemen's Inlet.
Exploration of.
Party of Natives.
Level country.
Tides.
Visit Bountiful Islands.
Description of them.
Sail for Sweers Island.
Investigator Road.
Natives.
Locusts.
Record of the Investigator's visit.
Dig a well.
Boats explore island and coast to the westward.
Sweers and Bentinck Islands.
Tides.
Take ship over to the main.
Another boat expedition leaves.
Ship proceeds to the head of the Gulf.
Discovery and exploration of Disaster Inlet.
Narrow escape.
Description of Interior.
Wild Fowl.
Explore coast to the eastward.
Inlets.
Discover the Flinders.
The Cuckoo.
Ascent of the river.
Night scene.
Burial tree.
Remarks.
Return to the ship.
Exploration of south-western part of Gulf.
Large inlets discovered.

June 26.

The vessels forming our convoy departed this morning, and soon
disappeared in the western horizon, leaving the Beagle, that seemed
destined to be a solitary roamer, once more alone at anchor under Booby
Island.

On the same evening she was herself pursuing her lonely way towards the
Gulf of Carpentaria, the eastern shore of which we saw on the morning of
the 1st of July. In the afternoon we anchored in 3 1/4 fathoms; the north
end of a very low sandy piece of coast, which we found to be in latitude
16 degrees 13 1/2 minutes South, longitude 9 degrees 10 East of Port
Essington, bearing South 70 degrees East, six miles and a half. From this
place the coast trended South 10 degrees West, and was fringed with
mangroves; a few straggling casuarinas grew near the sandy parts, a
feature which we constantly afterwards found to recur; their tall
broom-like shapes form a remarkable element in the coast scenery of the
Gulf.

SINGULAR TIDAL PHENOMENON.

A fruitless