* One of these trees has been introduced in
the view of the encampment at Careening Bay. It bore some resemblance to
the adansonia figured in the account of Captain Tuckey's expedition to
the Congo.

(*Footnote. Cunningham manuscripts.)

The only quadruped that was seen upon this excursion was a small opossum
which appeared to be the same animal that the colonists at Port Jackson
call the native cat: its colour was light red with small white spots.

The principal object of my investigation was to find an opening in the
bottom of the bay communicating with a large sheet of water that we had
seen from the hills to the southward; but as we were not successful in
finding any it was supposed that its communication with the sea must be
to the westward of Cape Brewster. Mr. Hunter and Mr. Cunningham had
previously made an excursion in that direction to the summit of a hill,
named by the latter gentleman after Thomas Andrew Knight, Esquire, the
President of the Horticultural Society. From this elevation they had a
good view of the water which appeared to be either a strait or an inlet
of considerable size; it was subsequently called Rothsay Water. The
country between it and our encampment was very rocky and rugged; but
although almost destitute of soil it was sprinkled with some dwarf timber
of various descriptions; and, had it not been for the late fires, there
would have been a good share of grass.

The fires were still burning; and while we were employed upon the vessel
the little grass that had before escaped the flames was consumed before
our eyes, which greatly increased the oppressive heat we were
experiencing. The thermometer during the day, exposed to a current of air
and shaded from the sun, generally indicated a temperature of between 94
and 98 degrees; and on one occasion although it was exposed to a fresh
sea-breeze the mercury stood at 101 degrees at noon: at night however we
were usually relieved by its falling to 75 degrees; and at two o'clock in
the morning it generally stood at 73 degrees. The maximum and minimum
temperature during fourteen days was 101 degrees and 72 1/2 degrees. The
daily range of the thermometer was as much as 20 degrees, while the
mercury on board did not rise or fall more than 3 or 4 degrees. This
great difference is to be attributed to the cooling power of the dew
which was precipitated most copiously every night upon the surface of the
earth; whilst the water, not being so easily aff