evening to bring us a hawk's nest that was built upon a rock near the
watering-place; at ten o'clock a very large fire was perceived close to
the nest; it was no doubt kindled by them, and meant to show that they
were not inattentive to their promise.

January 4.

The following day some natives were seen about a mile off upon the beach
but did not come near the vessel. Mr. Cunningham botanised upon the
summit of Bald Head. Of this excursion he gave me the following account:
"Upon reaching the summit of the ridge, and clearing a rocky gully which
intersected our track, we instantly entered an elevated valley of pure
white sand, bounded on either side by ridges forty feet high, that were
in themselves totally bare, excepting on the tops, where a thin clothing
of shrubs was remarked; the whole surface reflected a heat scarcely
supportable, and the air was so stagnant as scarcely to be respired,
although we were at a considerable elevation, and in the vicinity of a
constant current of pure atmospheric air on the ridge. After traversing
the whole length of this sandy vale, which is one-third of a mile in
extent, in our route towards Bald Head, with scarcely a plant to attract
our attention, we perceived at its extremity some remarkably fine
specimens of Candollea cuneiformis, Labil., which had, in spite of the
poverty and looseness of the drifting sand, risen to large spreading
trees, sixteen feet high, of robust growth and habit; they were at this
time covered with flowers and ripe fruit; but so painful was it to the
eyes and senses to remain for a moment stationary in this heated valley,
that whilst I gathered a quantity of the seeds of this truly rich plant,
my servant was obliged to hurry away to a cooler air on the ridge, which
we had again nearly reached; and but for this fine plant, and the no less
conspicuous blue-flowered Scaevola nitida, Br. The whole scene would have
deeply impressed us with all the horrors that such extremes of aridity
are naturally calculated to excite.

"Upon again reaching the ridge, whose moderated temperature required our
care to avoid suffering from the sudden transition, we came to the
granite, on whose bare surface I found a prostrate specimen of baeckea,
remarkable for the regularity of its decussate leaves, which I have
designated in my list as Baeckea saxicola. Continuing to the extremity of
the ridge, I was much surprised to find we had already attained the
highest point of the ran