The reef, which is very extensive, did not dry throughout at low-water, but some sandbanks along its lee margin were exposed, and upon them I found the greatest assemblage of pretty shells that I ever met with at one place.
What would not many an amateur collector have given to spend an hour here?
There were fine Terebrae in abundance, orange-spotted mitres, minutely-dotted cones, red-mouthed Strombi, glossy olives, and magnificent Naticae, all ploughing up the wet sand in every direction--yet, with two exceptions, they are to be seen in every collection in Europe.
FIND A HUMAN SKULL.
As usual we found plentiful remains of recent turtle feasts.

One of the boat's crew, not over-stocked with brains, during his rambles picked up a human skull with portions of the flesh adhering.

Accidentally learning this from the conversation of the men at our bivouac during supper, inquiry was made, when we found that he had foolishly thrown it into the sea, nor could it be found during a subsequent search.

I was anxious to determine whether it was aboriginal or not.

On the one hand, the natives of all parts of Australia usually evince the strongest desire to bury or conceal their own dead; on the other, there might have been some connection between the skull and the remains of a hut of European construction, portions of clothing, a pair of shoes, some tobacco, and fragments of a whaleboat seen here.