Green ants.

At several such places we landed, but always found the ascent to the interior so covered with large loose rocks that it would have been impossible to have disembarked stores or stock on any.  The thickness of the vegetation made it difficult to force a way through, and whenever, in attempting so to do, a tree was shaken, numbers of a large green sort of ant fell from the boughs on the unhappy trespasser and, making the best of their way to the back of his neck, gave warning by a series of most painful bites that he was encroaching on their domain.  Yet it was sometimes ludicrous to see one of the party momentarily stamping and roaring with pain, as he cried out to a companion to hasten and assist him in getting rid of an enemy at once so diminutive and so troublesome.

PARRAKEETS.

We saw a great number of beautiful parakeets, as well as a remarkable hawk of a bright cinnamon colour, with a milk-white head and neck.  As there was no apparent probability of our finding hereabouts a spot suited to land our stock and stores at we returned in the afternoon to the schooner, and found that the party in the other boat had been as unsuccessful as ourselves.

Description of landing-place, and encampment at Hanover bay.

December 5.

The long-boat was this morning despatched to the ravine where we had procured water on the first day of our landing to bring a few casks for immediate use, and to examine the country again in that direction; whilst I accompanied the Captain to examine the inlet at which Captain King had watered in his visit to these parts, in 1821.

Watering place at Hanover bay.

The approach to this watering-place was through a deep narrow channel, bounded on each side by high cliffs, against which our voices echoed and sounded strangely; whilst from the quantity of light which the cliffs excluded a solemn sombre hue was imparted to the scene.  Channels similar to the main one branched off on each side; they were however so narrow that the dense vegetation which grew on their sides nearly met in the centre, giving them an appearance of dark and refreshing coolness; most of these terminated in cascades, now dry, but down which the water in the rainy seasons pours in torrents:  at the foot of some of these cascades were deep cavities, or natural basins, worn in the solid rock by the falling of the water, and these were still full of the clearest cool water, in which sported small insects and animals of kinds quite unknown to me.

As we were swept up the main opening by the tide and sea-breeze its width gradually contracted, till at last we came to a small island bearing a single large mangrove tree, which we named One Tree Island.  The shores now became thickly wooded with mangroves, from the boughs of which depended in clusters small but well-flavoured oysters, and soon after passing the island we found our farther progress arrested by large rounded blocks of sandstone, from amongst which fresh water came pouring in a hundred little cascades.