nt of the great quantity seen in its vicinity. Cook, of course, was
unaware that these "smokes" were probably, many of them, signals from one
party of blacks to another of the arrival of something strange on the
coast. That these "smokes" are used by the blacks as a means of
communication is a well recognised fact, and the news they can convey by
this means is perfectly astonishing to a white man.

The country appeared to increase in height with:

"an agreeable variety of Hills, Ridges, and Valleys, and large plains all
clothed with wood, which to all appearance is the same as I have before
mentioned as we could discover no visible difference in the soil."

After escaping a reef off Point Danger they discovered a bay, which Cook
called Morton Bay after the Earl of Morton, P.R.S.; now wrongly spelt as
Moreton Bay. Here, from the colour of the water, they supposed a river
emptied into the sea; the surmise was correct, for they were at the mouth
of the Brisbane River. At the same time some curiously-shaped hills were
given the name of the Glasshouses, from their resemblance to the
buildings in which glass is manufactured, and the resemblance is most
striking.

After rounding Breaksea Spit, Cook found himself in a large bay, and
conjectured, from the birds and the direction of their flight, that there
was fresh water to the south-west; and rightly, for here the Mary River
enters Hervey's Bay. On 23rd May they landed for the second time, and
Cook says this was "visibly worse than the last place," that is Botany
Bay. They managed to shoot a bustard of 17 1/2 pounds, and Banks says it
was "as large as a good turkey, and far the best we had eaten since we
left England." It was so much appreciated that its name was conferred on
Bustard Head and Bustard Bay. This bird is known in Australia as the
Plain Turkey. Oysters of good quality were also obtained, and Banks made
the personal acquaintance of the green tree ant and the Australian
mosquito, neither of which were appreciated.

CAPE CAPRICORN.

On 24th May a moderately high, white, barren-looking point was passed,
which being found by observation to be directly under the tropic was
named Cape Capricorn, and soon after the mouth of the Fitzroy was
crossed, with the remark from Cook that from general appearances he
believed there was a river in the immediate vicinity. Soundings becoming
very irregular, he ran out between the Keppel Islands, on one of which
natives were seen.