od, and extensively covered with reeds; the
great body of the marsh lying upon our left. After passing the angle of
a wood, upon our right, from which Mount Foster was distant about
fourteen miles, we got upon a small plain, on which there was a new
species of tortuous box. This plain was clear of reeds, and the soil
upon it was very rich. Crossing in a westerly direction we arrived at
the channel found by Mr. Hume, who must naturally have concluded that
it was a continuation of the river. The boat was immediately prepared,
and I went up it in order to ascertain the nature of its formation. For
two miles it preserved a pretty general width of from twenty to thirty
yards; but at that distance began to narrow, and at length it became
quite shallow and covered with weeds. We were ultimately obliged to
abandon the boat, and to walk along a native path. The country to the
westward was more open than I had expected. About a quarter of a mile
from where we had left the boat, the channel separated into two
branches; to which I perceived it owed its formation, coming, as they
evidently did, direct from the heart of the marsh. The wood through
which I had entered it on the first occasion bore south of me, to which
one of the branches inclined; as the other did to the S.W. An almost
imperceptible rise of ground was before me, which, by giving an impetus
to the waters of the marsh, accounted to me for the formation of the
main channel. It was too late, on my return to the camp, to prosecute
any further examination of it downwards; but in the morning, Mr. Hume
accompanied me in the boat, to ascertain to what point it led; and we
found that at about a mile it began to diminish in breadth, until at
length it was completely lost in a second expanse of reeds. We passed a
singular scaffolding erected by the natives, on the side of the
channel, to take fish; and also found a weir at the termination of it
for the like purpose so that it was evident the natives occasionally
ventured into the marshes.

There was a small wood to our left which Mr. Hume endeavoured to gain,
but he failed in the attempt. He did, however, reach a tree that was
sufficiently high to give him a full view of the marsh, which appeared
to extend in every direction, but more particularly to the north, for
many miles. We were, however, at fault, and I really felt at a loss
what step to take. I should have been led to believe from the extreme
flatness of the country, tha