and thereby the good was spoiled.  The following morning he sent another specimen, which, notwithstanding it was considerably better, was still too bad to tempt me to embark any.  During the San Antonio’s stay at Sims Island, our gentleman paid it a visit:  its vegetation appeared to have suffered as much from want of rain as Goulburn Island.  “The venerable tournefortia (Tournefortia argentea.  Lin.) however, appeared as an exception:  this tree, which grows on the centre of the beach, where it is remarkably conspicuous, appeared to have resisted the dry state of the season; it was in full leaf, and covered with a profusion of flowers, which attracted a variety of insects, particularly of the genera apis, vespa, and sphex; and among them a beautiful green-coloured chrysis.”  (Cunningham manuscripts.)

During the two last days, our people were employed cutting wood; no natives had made their appearance, although recent tracks on the sand showed they were not far off; but on the evening of the 7th, the surgeon, accompanied by Dr. Armstrong of the Dick, landed in that vessel’s gig, and, whilst amusing themselves among the trees, and the boat’s crew incautiously wandering away from the boat, the natives came down, and would have carried off all the boat’s furniture, and everything in her, had they not been disturbed by the return of one of the sailors with a musket.  They succeeded however, in making a prize of a new boat-cloak, and the boat-hook, and one of them had nearly succeeded in carrying off an oar, but upon being fired at, dropped his booty and scampered off.  This trifling loss was deservedly sustained by our gentlemen, for they were well aware how suddenly the natives have always appeared, and how mischievously they had on those occasions conducted themselves:  they were also cautioned, when they went on shore to be upon their guard, and it was fortunate for them that nothing more serious occurred.

July 8.

At daylight, the 8th, the San Antonio rejoined us from Sims Island, and at eleven o’clock we left the bay, and passed to the eastward of New Year’s Island:  the Dick and ourselves then steered to the westward along the coast, while the San Antonio steered a north-west course, and parted company.

July 9.

The following day, being in sight of the land of Cape Van Diemen, and having sent our letters on board the Dick for conveyance to England, we parted company by an interchange of three cheers; and it was not without a considerable degree of regret that we took this leave of our friends; for it is but due to Mr. Harrison to say that we received very great assistance from him on several occasions:  he offered us his stream anchor to replace in some degree our loss, although he had himself only one left; it was, however, much too small for our purpose.

By this opportunity I wrote to the Secretary of the Admiralty, and the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, and communicating to them a brief account of our voyage up the east coast, acquainted them of my intention of employing the fine-weather months of July and August upon the north-west coast, and then of going to Mauritius, to replace our anchors and cable, previous to our examination of the west coast.