eak. We landed in many parts on search
of fresh water but were on all occasions unsuccessful. At the end of this
reach the river, for such it now appeared to be, gradually narrowed and
wound with a more serpentine course under the base of the hills which
still continued to be rugged and steep; but the banks were now thickly
lined by mangroves, whereas in the first or sea reach they are formed
principally of large rounded masses of rock that had been detached from
the summits of the overhanging hills by the effect of the cascades, some
of which must have fallen from a height of 200 feet without interruption
in their descent. During the rainy season it would be dangerous to expose
a vessel to the strength of the freshes in this river.

At the distance of six miles from the end of the first reach we arrived
at the termination of the river where its width was not more than
twenty-five yards. Here its bed was blocked up by large water-worn masses
of sandstone and, as the boat could not proceed farther, we landed to
await the turn of the tide.

About a mile below this part we had unexpectedly found a spring of fresh
water bubbling up among the mangroves and yielding a very considerable
quantity: whilst we were examining it the tide was nearly up so that we
had only time to fill our barica and kettle before the salt water flowed
over and mixed with it.

During our detention here we ascended the hills over the landing-place to
examine the country; but on reaching the top after a rugged and difficult
walk, higher hills obstructed our view in every direction. The bed of the
river appeared to continue for some distance through a deep gully formed
by precipitous hills. In the wet season this is doubtless a very
considerable stream; and then perhaps the water is fresh as low as the
upper part of the first reach. At this time the holes in the rocks were
filled with fresh water but the tide flowed up as far as it was navigable
for our boat. The trees on the tops and sides of the hills had lately
been burned: in the shady parts however near the water, the shore was
lined with several plants which had escaped destruction; among them was a
species of nutmeg (Myristica insipida, Brown), a tree of twenty-five feet
high (Maba laurina, Brown), and on the top of the hills and shelving
places halfway down were observed several coniferous trees that resembled
the Callitris ventenat, or Australian cypress, which grows in the
interior of the co