we were on consists of abrupt cliffs of the height of
about two hundred feet; at the base of these and between them and the sea
there is a narrow strip of sandy land and dunes, and at their summit is a
barren sandy tableland, gently sloping away to the southward and
appearing to extend throughout the whole length of the peninsula.

As soon as I thought the men were sufficiently rested we launched the
boats, but on rounding the northern extremity of the peninsula met a
heavy sea running from the southward and were obliged to take to the
oars. We had not got more than two miles to the southward of Cape Leseuer
when I saw so many indications of an approaching gale that I ran in again
and beached the boats; and this operation was hardly accomplished ere it
blew with terrific violence from the south-south-west. Both here and at
our last night's encampment we saw numerous signs of natives, and now
found several native wells in the sandhills, but had no occasion to use
them as we had regular tropical rain for the rest of the day. The men
here brought me the bones of a very large marine animal which they had
found at the natives' fire, but I could not recognise them as belonging
to any that I was acquainted with. At this period, from bad food and
being constantly wet with salt water, we were all afflicted with sores of
the most painful and annoying character, and these much increased the
unpleasantness of our situation.

ANOTHER GALE.

March 28.

This morning the weather looked tolerably fine; I therefore ordered the
boats to be launched and, after pulling a few miles to windward along
Perron's Peninsula, we struck across for Dirk Hartog's Island; our former
ill-luck however still attended us, for just as we were making the land
another fearful gale from the south-south-west came on, and had we not
had the good luck to have got under the lee of the Coin de Mire of the
French we must infallibly have been wrecked; as it was we pulled along
under this promontory and beached the boats in a little bay at its
north-west extremity. Nothing but absolute necessity could however have
induced me to take such a step, for the place was rocky and difficult of
access, with a heavy surf breaking on the beach. The rain fell in
torrents during the greater part of the evening, and the men spent the
time in searching for oysters and shellfish with which to appease their
hunger. The rain which had fallen during the last two days had a very
inju