At daybreak they all exerted
themselves in full chorus, and I should then have proceeded farther, but
the tide was half out, and a soft mud-bank forty feet broad fronting the
shore cut off our communication with the boat."

As soon as the ebb-tide began to make Mr. Roe embarked on his return; and
during his passage down saw as many as twelve alligators. Two were fired
at but the balls glanced off their tough coats of mail without hurting or
scarcely frightening them. A small trickling of water was noticed among
the rocks, which they found to be fresh but in too small a quantity to be
of any use. The boat was six hours and a half pulling down although for
the first five hours the tide was favourable.

The river was named after the rector of Newbury, the reverend father of
my zealous and diligent assistant Mr. Roe. It appears to be a very
considerable stream and, as Mr. Roe justly observes, in the rainy season
or at any other time of the year than during the months of September and
October, which terminate the dry season, will doubtless afford a large
quantity of fresh water.

The opportunity that offered in Hunter's River of filling our water-casks
was not to be lost.

September 14.

And the day after the boat returned from the examination of Roe's River
the cutter was moved to an anchorage about half way up the first or sea
reach of Hunter's River.

September 15.

And the next morning before daylight the boats were despatched; but owing
to the darkness of the morning and the ebb-tide having left the shores
dry and almost inaccessible, from the quantity of mud that lined them,
they did not reach the spring until late in the day. In the mean time,
however, they contrived to wade through the mud to the shore; and then
explored the bed of the river for half a mile beyond where our previous
examination terminated.

In this space they passed several pools of fresh water which, in some
parts, was running over a pebbly bottom; but the supply was so trifling
as to be not sufficient to alter the taste of the seawater.

Our gentlemen described the country to be as destitute of soil as we had
found it lower down; and so rugged as to be scarcely passable. The ravine
is formed by precipitous rocks of sandstone rising perpendicularly on
both sides to the height of two hundred feet, here and there lightly
sprinkled with a few shrubs which had lately been burnt.

Some of our party thought they saw both an emu and a black swa