ed to be clotted with a whitish paint. During the time of our
parley the natives had their spears close at hand, for those who were in
the water had them floating near them, and those who were on the beach
had them either buried in the sand, or carried them between their toes,
in order to deceive us and to appear unarmed; and in this they succeeded,
until one of them was detected, when we were pulling towards the woman,
by his stooping down and picking up his spear.

Finding that we had no chance of recovering our loss, we returned on
board, when the natives also withdrew from the beach, and did not
afterwards show themselves.

May 18.

The next morning we weighed with the flood and worked up the opening
against the wind for sixteen or seventeen miles, when the tide turned,
and we anchored in eleven fathoms. In most parts the banks were
inaccessible, being nearly overrun with mangroves; but the low appearance
of the country within and the mischievous disposition of the natives made
me less anxious to examine into the thick woods that surrounded us on all
sides. Wherever a clear space presented itself, the sago palm was seen
mixed with the fan palm, the pandanus and other trees, among which the
eucalyptus as usual appeared to be the most abundant.

May 19.

At eight o'clock the next morning we were again underweigh; and, with the
flood-tide in our favour, made rapid progress. The opening had, however,
become so much contracted, that it was found prudent to have a boat
hoisted out, with the kedge and a hawser ready if the vessel should get
on shore. After proceeding two miles further, it took a more easterly
course, and as we advanced the general direction of the reaches were east
and south. Our speculations ran high with regard to what it might be, and
the probability of its being a large river appeared to our sanguine minds
so certain that we never once fancied it could be otherwise; when
suddenly the open sea appeared, and, demonstrating it to be merely a
strait, at once dispelled our hopes.

Upon reaching between the two heads which form the south entrance of this
Strait, the tide turned, and, beginning to run so swiftly back that we
were prevented from getting out, obliged us very reluctantly to return to
an anchorage within, which was not easily found, as the bottom was rocky
and thickly studded with shoals. The anchor was at last dropped at three
miles within the entrance near an open cliffy bank, on which th