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like our White Currant, a Species of the Sloe. & a Bean Which Grows on a Slender Stalk. which Creeps along the Ground. Our Gardens have Produced Very little tho' we had An Excellent Assortment of Seeds. Cabbage. Turnips Potatoes & Onions Came up Very Soon. but in A few Days After they Dwindled to Nothing.& that Some People Hope who Understand farming Say. the Ground is too thick. & that in Another Year by Proper Management it will be Very Good, We Are Certainly at Present situated on the out Skirts of the Country on Account of the Convenience of so Good A Harbour- But we have Seen in A Clear Day. A Ridge of Very high land. I suppose 30 or 40 Miles Directly inland. Our Parties have never yet been so far. But I am Informd the Governor Intends Going With A Strong party Very Early this Spring & I think there is Reason to suppose he Will find much better land there. We have Never Yet Met With Any fresh Water River nor have I seen but two Places Along the Coast where I think it Probable to Meet with A River. one of these is about 4 Miles to the Southward of Botany Bay The other between Capes George & Long Nose in Latt.e 35º.22' South both which Places I hope we Shall Examine When the Summer Advances. The Animals of this Country Are All Curious. The Kangaroo is frequently Shot by our Parties & is the only fresh Meat they Can get. Some of them Are Very large Weighing upwards of 140 Pounds. Cap.t Cook has Describ'd their form. I shall only Remark that A stout Grey-hound has little Chance of overtaking them. They Hop on their hind legs With Great Swiftness over the High Grass The Tail is Certainly their principal Weapon of Defence. Which they Can use With force Sufficient to break a Bone. The Root of the tail of A Large one Measured Eleven Inches Round & Was Near 4 feet Long. They Have a false Belly Which is a Loose Skin which they have the power of Expanding or Contracting At Pleasure-They Bring forth the Young Perfectly formd Not Bigger than A Mouse: & In time of [....] or Danger Always takes Shelter in the false Belly. To what Age the Parent Protects them in this Manner we do not know. but I think not After they Are the Size of A Cat- The Flying Squirrel is An Inhabitant of these woods & two or three [....] of the Opossum kind & I am inform'd Some Tyger Cats have been Seen the Natives have Small dogs of the fox kind.- The Birds Are in No Great Number or Varietys. In the Marshy Grounds some Large Black Swans have been kill'd. differing from ours in Nothing but the Colour. The Crows Are Exactly like ours & some Beautiful Hawks. The Harbour is Tolerably well Stock'd with