northward.

We found that Tremouille was as scantily supplied with vegetation as
Barrow's Island; in one or two places was growing a stunted kind of wood,
sufficient for fuel for a small-sized ship; but there was no sign of
water. The wallaby, which were very numerous, must have got their supply
of moisture from the copious dews. They were found lying very close in
the wiry prickly grass, allowing us to kick them out, when they went off
at speed, affording excellent sport, quite equal to any rabbit shooting;
among three guns we managed, in a couple of hours, to bag nearly twenty.
It was quite a new kind of wallaby, and has been classed, from a specimen
we brought away, as Lagorchester conspicillata. It had a blunt nose,
similar to those at Barrow's Island, and was about the same size, though
its colour was lighter, and it had a back exactly like a European hare.
The tail tapered away like a rat's, and the flesh was by no means good to
eat, tasting very strong; this was the only instance in which we found
wallaby at all unpalatable.

Although our exploration in this neighbourhood did not lead to our
finding any of the land fertile, yet from the new feature our chart will
give to this part of the coast, the necessity of the Beagle's visit will
be evident. Our object had been satisfactorily attained, inasmuch as we
had cleared up the doubts respecting Ritchie's Reef, and the long-lost
Tryal Rocks. We had also been so fortunate as to add to the stores of
natural history a new kangaroo and two kinds of wallaby, besides a large
water-snake.

RITCHIE'S REEF.

September 9.