The island does not afford a tree or a blade of grass, but only wretched scrubby bushes.
Between the dunes regular beds of shells are forming which, when dried and light, are drifted up by the wind.

The only animals we saw were kangaroo-rats, one pigeon, one small land- and many seabirds, a few lizards, mosquitoes, ants, crabs, oysters and turtle.
BURY THE STORES.

INEFFECTUAL SEARCH FOR WATER.
February 26.
Early this morning we had finished burying our stores.

The wind had freshened considerably about daylight, and throughout the day it blew nearly a gale from the south-east; it now looked so foul that I feared a long period of bad weather was about to commence.

My own party, as well as the crews of the boats which came off from the whaler, had during the hurry and confusion incident on landing made very free with our supply of water, and as, from the appearance of the island, I felt very doubtful whether we should find any more, I put all hands on an allowance of two pints and a half a day, and then employed the men thus: one party under the direction of Mr.Walker worked at constructing a still, by means of which we might obtain fresh water from salt; another made various attempts to sink a well; whilst the native, another man, and myself traversed the island in search of a supply from the surface.
At night the result of our efforts were recounted, when it appeared that Mr.Walker had, by an ingenious contrivance, managed to have such a still constructed that we might hope, by means of it, if kept constantly working, to obtain just water enough to keep us alive.