Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0257
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[Page 257]
253.
May 1770. Botany bay
of either swamps or light sandy soil on which grew very few species of trees one which was large yeilding a gum much like sanguis draconis but every place was coverd with vast quantities of grass we saw many Indian houses & places where they had slept upon the grass without the least shelter in these we left beads ribbands &c. we saw one quadruped about the size of a Rabbit My Greyhound Just got sight of him & instantly lamd himself against a stump which lay conceald in the long grass we saw also the dung of a large animal that had fed on grass which much resembled that of a Stag also the footsteps of an animal clawd like a dog or wolf and as large as the latter & of a small animal whose feet were like those of a polecat or weesel the trees over our heads abounded very much with Loryquets & Cocatoos of which we shot several both these sorts flew in flocks of several scores together
Our second Leutenant went in a boat drudging after he had done he landed & sent the boat away keeping with him a midshipman with whoom he set out in order to walk to the Waterers in his