ce
in their escape from the close confinement on shipboard.

We here first hoisted the British flag, and went through the ceremony of
taking possession of the territory in the name of Her Majesty and her
heirs for ever.

The next few days were passed in moving the stores from the landing-place
to the tent; as it was necessary that before I allowed the schooner to
start we should be amply provided with all necessaries so as to be able
to maintain ourselves for some time, in the event of anything happening
to the vessel: this was very fatiguing work for the whole party but they
all exerted themselves with the most strenuous energy, especially Mr.
Lushington; and our labours were varied by several amusing novelties
which relieved the monotony of the employment.

REMARKABLE FISHES.

Sometimes as we sat at our dinner near the landing-place we watched a
strange species of fish (genus Chironectes, Cuvier). These little animals
are provided with arms, at least with members shaped like such as far as
the elbow, but the lower part resembles a fin; they are amphibious,
living equally well on the mud or in the water; in moving in the mud they
walk, as it were, on their elbows, and the lower arm or fin then projects
like a great splay foot; but in swimming the whole of this apparatus is
used as a fin. They have also the property of being able to bury
themselves almost instantaneously in the soft mud when disturbed. The
uncouth gambols and leaps of these anomalous creatures were very
singular.

Another remarkable fish was a species of mullet which, being left by the
retreat of the high tides in the pools beyond the rounded rocks at the
head of the landing-place, was obliged to change its element from salt to
fresh water, which by a very remarkable habit it appeared to do without
suffering any inconvenience. The natural hue of this fish was a very pale
red, but when they had been for some time in the fresh water this reddish
tinge became much deeper, and when of this colour I have found them in
streams a considerable distance from the sea, as if, like our salmon,
they had quitted it for the purpose of spawning. Indeed birds, insects,
and all things we saw, were so new and singular that our attention was
kept constantly excited by the varied objects which passed before us.

December 11.

I went on board in the morning for the purpose of preparing my letters,
and about 10 A.M. it was reported to me that a party of natives had co