e water was perfectly fresh; but after the flood
made it became brackish; and toward high water, very much so, even as
high up as he went. He landed upon an island, which lies between this
branch and the eastern one; and upon it saw some currant bushes, with
the fruit already set; and some other fruit-trees and bushes, unknown
to him. The soil appeared to be clay, mixed with sand. About three
leagues beyond the extent of his search, or to the northward of it,
he observed there was another separation in the eastern chain of
mountains, through which he supposed the river took a N.E. direction;
but it seemed rather more probable that this was only another branch,
and that the main channel kept its northern direction, between the two
ridges or chains of mountains before mentioned. He found that these
two ridges, as they extended to the north, inclined more and more to
each other, but never appeared to close; nor was any elevated land
seen between them, only low land, part woody, and part clear.

All hopes of finding a passage were now given up. But as the ebb was
almost spent, and we could not return against the flood, I thought I
might as well take the advantage of the latter to get a nearer view
of the eastern branch; and by that means finally to determine, whether
the low land on the east side of the river was an island, as we had
supposed, or not. With this purpose in view, we weighed with the first
breeze of the flood, and having a faint breeze at N.E. stood over
for the eastern shore, with boats ahead, sounding. Our depth was from
twelve to five fathoms; the bottom a hard gravel, though the water was
exceedingly muddy. At eight o'clock a fresh breeze sprung up at east,
blowing in an opposite direction to our course; so that I despaired of
reaching the entrance of the river, to which we were plying up, before
high water. But thinking, that what the ships could not do might be
done by boats, I dispatched two, under the command of Lieutenant King,
to examine the tides, and to make such other observations as might
give us some insight into the nature of the river.

At ten o'clock, finding the ebb began, I anchored in nine fathoms
water, over a gravelly bottom. Observing the tide to be too strong for
the boats to make head against it, I made a signal for them to return
on board, before they had got half way to the entrance of the river
they were sent to examine, which bore from us S. 80 deg. E., three leagues
distant. The