her all the fish we had remaining, and having put a
quantity of fire-wood and water within her reach, we took our
leave. We embarked in the boats, and sailed across the bay to the
north branch, which has a very shoally and narrow entrance. We
proceeded but a small distance up, before we landed on the west
shore and refreshed ourselves; after which we rowed round the
first opening on the east side; this we followed up until we came
to its head. It is very shallow and narrow, and ended in a large
bason, full of shoals, and surrounded with mangroves; it extended
near four miles to the north and eastward.

When we returned from this branch, we pitched our tents on the
west shore for the night, and early the next morning we proceeded
to the northward: in this route we fell in with many shoals of
considerable extent; and after rowing about six or seven miles
up, we arrived at the head of it, which divides into two large
bays, in one of which I observed the latitude to be 33 deg. 26'
30" south. We returned from hence to a point near the entrance of
this north harbour, where we encamped and spent the night; in
this harbour we did not see more than twenty natives, some few of
whom came and conversed with us.

Across the mouth of this north harbour there is a bar or spit
of sand, which extends from the sandy beach, or west point of the
entrance, almost over to the eastern shore, and on which, from
the wind having been from the southward the preceding night, the
sea broke prodigiously from side to side, so that near low water
it was impossible for the boats to get out; we were on that
account obliged to remain there until it was more than two-thirds
flood, when, in the deepest part of the channel, where the sea
did not break, we pushed out, and pulled over for the south-west
arm, or harbour, up which we went; but as part of this branch had
not been looked into last winter, we entered an arm on the north
side of it, and proceeded up about a mile and a half to an island
we had visited the last winter.

Here we encamped for the night, and hauled the seine with
great success; and from the vast quantity of excellent mullet and
other fish caught here, it got the name of Mullet Island. Next
morning we rowed into a branch, which the boats had been in the
last time we were here, but had not thoroughly examined; we
proceeded to the top, and found it very shoally, extending to the
northward about four miles, and navigable only for boats