COASTS OF AUSTRALIA.
West-Bay, but it is very doubtful whether' any
have succeeded, on account of the cu'stom that April
the .natives have when the grass is dry, of setting
fire to it, so that there is little doubt but that all
the annual plants have been destroyed.
The. bay was called Mullet Bay, in conse-
quence of the immense shoals of that fish which
were seen. near the shores, and of which Boon-
garee speared' several with his fiz-gig. The tr?-
po?g' Were found about the rocks on the beach in
?eat-numbers, as they were also on the South
Island.
On the 8th we left Munet Bay, and made an s
unsuccessful attempt to beat round the north ? end
of the island,* and ,to return by steering through
the strait that separates the Northern from the
Southern' Ishnd: we.were, however, prevented
by the freshness of the wind, and .the strength of
�the current.
On the 10th, we bore up with the intention of ?o.
returning. to South-West Bay. On .approaching
it, however, we were surprised' with. the sight of
the Malay fleet steering through. Macquade
Strait, towards two of their pwas that had
already anchored in a sandy bay on the S.W.
side of Sims'..Island. It ?wa? therefore deter-
'mined that we shouldproceed as far to the west-
ward' before night-fall as: We could, and as: the
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