In this excursion the explorers were impressed by the silent grandeur of
the forest trees: there was no underwood, but there was excellent grass,
from which sprang coveys of quail, or partridges of New Holland.
The trees in general were the tall she-oak so common in the neighbourhood
of Sydney.* (* Casuarina suberosa, commonly known as Beefwood.) Grant
returned to the beach and went on board to dinner. In the afternoon he
again made a party for the shore, consisting of Mr. Barrallier, Mr.
Caley, botanist, and two soldiers. They entered the woods at the same
place as before, intending to make a circuit back to the boat. Again,
beautiful birds were seen, among them, some cockatoos which were
perfectly black "excepting the breast and a few feathers on the wing
which were yellow." They were so shy that no one could get near them.
Other birds were killed - whose flesh, when cooked, was very palatable;
that of the parrot resembled our pigeon in taste - "possibly because they
feed on seeds of wild plants."
According to Grant, "no country in the world abounds with a greater
variety of insects. We saw numbers buzzing about the trees...Having
pursued our walk inland we fell in with a swampy land in a valley with
much brush wood; a rivulet of excellent fresh water ran briskly through
it, emptying itself in the sea near to where I had ordered our boat to
haul the seine. We found the track of the natives and fell in with
several of their gunnies or habitations. These are constructed with a few
boughs stuck up to screen them from the wind; bones of beasts, birds and
fish were lying about them. On the return to the boat, Mr. Barrallier
shot a large hawk. Our fishing-party had caught some fish, and would have
been very successful, but two sharks got into the seine and tore it in
several places: they were both brought on shore, one measuring seven feet
in length. The liver I ordered to be carried on board, to be boiled for
the oil and used in our lamp.
"On the 11th of March, the wind still hanging to the south, I took some
hands on shore to cut a boatload of wood and fill our water
casks...Messieurs Barrallier and Caley, with two soldiers, accompanied me
on another excursion. We took another direction inland...but saw no
kangaroos. We met with two small lagoons and several streams of good
water running through the thickest part of the woods. In this excursion
we saw the Laughing Bird so called from the noise it makes resembling
laughter.* (* The Giant Kingfisher or Kookaburra.)
"On our return to the boat we fell in with a spot of ground which
appeared to have been selected by the natives for the purposes of
festivity.
