g as our tinkling
bell-horse, and perhaps a second horse, was moving near us. The natives
considered our animals to be large dogs, and had frequently asked whether
they would bite (which I affirmed, of course); so that they themselves
furnished us with a protection, which otherwise I should not have thought
of inventing.

July 23.--When Charley returned this morning with the horses, he told me,
that a fine broad salt-water river was again before us. I kept,
therefore, at once to the southward, and feared that I should have to go
far in that direction before being able to ford it. After travelling
about two miles, we came in sight of it. It was broad and deep, with low
rocky banks. Salicornia grew along the small gullies into which the tide
flowed; some struggling stunted mangroves were on the opposite side; and
the plains along the right side of the river were occupied by a scanty
vegetation, consisting of Phyllanthus shrubs, scattered box, and the
raspberry-jam trees. We had travelled, however, more than a mile on its
bank, when we came to a broad rocky barrier or dam extending across the
river, over which a small stream of brackish water rippled, and, by means
of this, we crossed without difficulty. I now steered again north-west by
west, and passed at first some fine shady lagoons, and for the next six
miles, over an immense plain, apparently unlimited to the north and
north-east. At its west side we again found Polygonum lagoons, which were
swarming with ducks, (particularly Malacorhynchus membranaceus), and teal
(Querquedula). Box, raspberry-jam trees, and Acacia, (Inga moniliformis,
D.C.) formed a shady grove round these lagoons, which continued towards
the south-east. Their latitude was 17 degrees 49 minutes 35 seconds.
Smoke was visible in every part of the horizon. Charley, Brown, and John,
shot fourteen ducks, and increased this number towards evening to
forty-six ducks, five recurvirostris, one small red-shank, and two
spoon-bills: the latter were particularly fat, and, when ready for the
spit, weighed better than three pounds; the black ducks weighed a pound
and three-quarters. The Malacorhynchus was small, but in good condition,
and the fat seemed to accumulate particularly in the skin of the neck.

The south wind, as usual, visited us again last night, and made it
exceedingly cold. This intense cold is probably owing to the large
plains, over which the wind passes. We were never so much troubled by
swarms