umference. The trees here are not of many sorts; the gum tree, which
we found on the southern part of the coast, is the most common, but here
it is not so large: On each side of the river, through its whole course,
there are mangroves in great numbers, which in some places extend a mile
within the coast. The country is in all parts well watered, there being
several fine rivulets at a small distance from each other, but none in
the place where we lay, at least not during the time we were there,
which was the dry season; we were, however, well supplied with water by
springs, which were not far off.

In the afternoon of the 4th, we had a gentle breeze at S.E., and clear
weather, but as I did not intend to sail till the morning, I sent all
the boats to the reef to get what turtle and shell-fish they could. At
low water I went up to the mast-head and took a view of the shoals,
which made a very threatening appearance: I could see several at a
remote distance, and part of many of them was above water. The sea
appeared most open to the north-east of the turtle reef, and I came to a
resolution to stretch out that way close upon a wind, because, if we
should find no passage, we could always return the way we went. In the
evening, the boats brought in a turtle, a sting-ray, and as many large
cockles as came to about a pound and a half a man, for in each of them
there was not less than two pounds of meat: In the night also we caught
several sharks, which, though not a dainty, were an acceptable increase
of our fresh provision.

In the morning I waited till half ebb before I weighed, because at that
time the shoals begin to appear, but the wind then blew so hard that I
was obliged to remain at anchor: In the afternoon, however, the gale
becoming more moderate, we got under sail, and stood out upon a wind
N.E. by E., leaving the turtle reef to windward, and having the pinnace
sounding a-head: We had not kept this course long before we discovered
shoals before us, and upon both the bows; and at half an hour after
four, having run about eight miles, the pinnace made the signal for
shoal water, where we little expected it: Upon this we tacked, and stood
on and off, while the pinnace stretched farther to the eastward, and
night approaching, I came to an anchor in twenty fathom water, with a
muddy bottom. Endeavour River then bore S. 52 W.; Cape Bedford W. by N.
1/2 N., distant five leagues; the northermost land in sight, which had
the