State Library of NSW
[Page 272]
268 Bustard bay
a good way into the countrey & sent out a strong tide here we found a great variety of Plants several however the same as those we ourselves had before seen in the Islands between the tropicks & others known to be natives of the east Indies a sure mark that we were upon the point of leaving the Southern temperate Zone & for the future we must expect to meet with plants &c. a part of which at least have been before seen by Europæans. the Soil in general was very sandy & dry tho it producd a large variety of Plants yet it never was coverd with a thick verdure fresh water we saw none but several swamps swamps & boggs of salt water in these & upon the sides of the lagoon grew many Mangrove trees in the branches of which were many nests of Ants one sort of which were quite green these when the branches were disturbd came out in large numbers & revengd themselves very sufficiently upon their disturbers biting sharper than any I have felt in Europe the Mangroves had also another trap which most of us fell into a small kind of small Caterpiler green & beset with many hairs these
This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.