at times of the most monsoon-like character, while
the wind, constantly blowing very fresh, kept veering from North-West to
South-West. Every now and then, by way of agreeable variety, a heavy
squall would take us from South-South-West, though more commonly from
West-South-West. The only certainty that we could calculate upon, was,
that at North-North-West the wind would remain when it got there,
stationary for a few hours. The thunder and lightning, the former loud
and with a long reverberating peal, and the latter of the most intensely
vivid kind, were constantly roaring and flashing over our heads; and,
with the stormy echoes which the rolling deep around woke on these
unknown and inhospitable shores, completed a scene that I shall never
cease to remember, as I never then beheld it without mingled emotions of
apprehension and delight. The rain, however, certainly befriended us in
more ways than one: it cooled the atmosphere, which would else have been
insufferably hot, diminished for a time the number and virulence of our
winged tormentors, and recruited our stock of fresh water; for, though
ultimately we were not obliged to have recourse to it as a beverage, it
did exceedingly well for washing purposes. We had also, during this time,
one most successful haul with the seine, which amply supplied us with
fresh fish for that and the two following days; the greater part were a
kind of large mullet, the largest weighed six pounds five ounces, and
measured twenty-five inches in length.

TIDAL PHENOMENON.

On the same day we remarked, owing to the North-West wind, a singular
phenomenon in the tides here. From half-ebb to high-water the stream
wholly ceased, and the water being heaped up in the bay by the force of
the wind, fell only sixteen, instead of twenty-four feet.

Several sporting excursions were made during this period, but with
comparatively little success. It is not a country naturally very abundant
in game of any kind, except kangaroos, which are numerous, but so
harassed by the natives as to be of course extremely shy of the approach
of man.

SINGULAR KANGAROO.

However, Mr. Bynoe succeeded in shooting one which possessed the singular
appendage of a nail, like that on a man's little finger, attached to the
tail.

I regret that we had no subsequent opportunity to decide whether this was
one of a new species of the Macropodidae family, or a mere lusus naturae.
The dimensions and height of this singular an