woody hills to the height of between five and seven hundred feet,
stretching away in a North-East direction. This harbour presents one very
curious feature, namely, a sort of canal or gut in the mud flats that
front the eastern side of Grant Island. Its depth varies from six to
seven fathoms, whilst the width is half a mile. The most remarkable
object, however, is the helmet-shaped headland, rising abruptly from the
sea to the height of 480 feet, and forming the South-East extreme of
Grant Island. It is the more conspicuous from the circumstance that all
the rest of the island is covered with low hills, clothed in an almost
impervious scrub. The land at the head of the inner of the two bays I
have alluded to in describing Port Western, partakes of the same
character, and is intersected by a number of creeks. This greatly
increases the difficulty of the overland communication between Port
Phillip and the available land on Port Western, travellers being
compelled to take a very circuitous road in order to avoid this almost
impassable tract, and reach the banks of Bass river, where the best soil
is found, and which has been named after the enterprising man whose
memory must for ever remain intimately connected with this part of the
world.

SNAKE ADVENTURE.

A few rare insects were collected by Mr. Emery, whose adventures with
snakes bear a great resemblance to some of Waterton's. He was walking out
once on Grant Island, when his attention was attracted by the pitiful
cries of a bird in a tree close at hand. He soon discovered that a snake*
was in the act of robbing the nest, whilst the mother fluttering round,
was endeavouring to scare away the spoiler. Mr. Emery immediately climbed
up, and with a courage which few other men would have exhibited, seized
the reptile by the back of the neck and killed it. We found that it had
already swallowed one of the young ones, which had so extended the skin,
and made so large a lump, that we were quite puzzled to know how it could
have been got down.

(*Footnote. Lieutenant Emery has this snake still in his possession,
stuffed in a masterly style, and set up with the bird in its mouth.)

CAPABILITIES OF PORT WESTERN.

We were astonished to find the tide here nearly an hour later than at
Port Phillip, and higher by six feet. The cause of this peculiarity is no
doubt to be attributed to the fact of the tides at Port Western being
influenced by the easterly flood-stream. The bad weat