Two species of seals, differing in structure and habits, frequent the shores of these islands, basking on steep de clivities, from whence they can easily precipitate them selves into the sea; and they afford the three new genera of quadrupeds, the kangaroo, the wombat, and the duck billed ant-eater, all strangers to the older naturalists, be cause none exist on the four great continents of the world. The first is of a reddish brown species, weighing 90 or 50 lib. now grown shy from incessant pursuit, and difficult to be caught on account of its impenetrable retreats of brush wood. The wombat, whose flesh is very acceptable food, where quadrupeds are so scarce, was first seen on Clark's and Cape Barren Island. It has since been caught on the continent ; but its instinct is visibly modified by the pre sence or absence of danger, for it here feeds at all times, often foraging among the refuse on the shore, while on the continent it never leaves the holes where it burrows like a badger omit dark. The duck-billed ant-eater is esteem ed a great delicacy. Speckled, yellow, and likewise black snakes, are seen on several islands on the confines of the brushwood ; they have venomous fangs, but it is not report ed that they have ever proved destructive. They frequent ly penetrate the burrows made by the sheer water or sooty petrel, amidst the sandy tufts of coarse grass, probably in quest of the young. These birds occur in surprising num bers, darkening the air at sun-set in their flight ; they bur row exactly in the manlier of rabbits, and breed in their holes, and, in spite of the disturbance and destruction which they experience, they pertinaciously resort to the same spot. i Penguins and other birds burrow in the same man ner, n places separate and disinet from the petrels ; and as the latter always retire to the ground at night, thc pen guMs, which have been sheltered there the whole day, then regularly leave it. It is extremely difficult, and sometimes dangerous, to walk amidst the excavations formed by them, as people suddenly sink knee deep. The most valuable
birds arc the goose and black swan ; the former is nume rims, it feeds on grass, and seldom takes to the water ; the latter is rare, and frequents flesh water pools only, in the breeding season. • Furneaux's islands were first explored hy 11:,ss, sur g•on of the Reliance, and Lieutenant, allerwards Captain Flinders, of the navy, in 1798. They we re about the same time, and subsequeitly, resorted to by vessels from Bota ny Bay, in prosecuting the seal fi:hery, which was so pro fitable that a single ship captured 9000 seals. Some years later, the French expedition of discovery examined the principal islands, and their appearance and pa ition have been further explained by the elegant charts of Captain Flinders, published in 18 i 4. Precious to all these periods, however, one of them had afforded refuge to a shipwreck ed crew, and it is not improbable that, during the frequent intercourse of the Dutch with their eastern possessions, the external islands may have been seen or visited. It must now be admitted, that an extensive portion of the coast of New Holland had, neatly two centuries ago, been surveyed by them, though all remembrance of the fact was lost. Yet the slight sketches, which only afforded scope for conjectures, are evidently the result of attentive inves tigation.
Furncaux's islands are probably of too little importance to become a permanent settlement. At present tempora ry establishments are formed upon them, by those engaged in the seal fishery, which is less productive than it was originally. Besides, fresh water is scarce in general, the navigation is intricate, and the shores are frequently co vered with the wreck of vessels, which repeatedly perish in the neighbourhood. See Collin's Account of Xew South /Tales, vol. ii. Peron Voyage aux 'Ferree ?ustrales, p. 351. Flinder's Voyage to Terra Australes, vol. i. Intro duct. p. 126. (c)