lands were passed, and two
others four miles further on. The breadth at this point was nearly a
mile, but the depth was scarcely two fathoms; one less than we had before
found it. The above-mentioned islets, one of which was of some size, lay
at the upper end of a reach, trending south, where this inlet or river,
as we anxiously hoped it would prove to be, divided into two branches,
one continuing in a southerly direction, and the other turning short off
to the westward.

EXAMINE THE SOUTHERN BRANCH.

Though the latter had a greater volume of water passing through it than
the other, I still, from the direction and size of the south arm, decided
on ascending it first. For some distance the banks had been less fringed
with mangroves, leaving clear patches covered with coarse grass. The
trees on the side of the first reach in the southerly arm were laden with
the snowy plumage of a large flock of cockatoos. After proceeding about
five miles further we rested a few hours, continuing again soon after
midnight. As the tides run twelve hours each way, it was necessary that
we should take advantage of the favourable stream, whatever might be the
hour, though this plan kept the men for a very long time together at the
oars.

The general direction we pursued was still south, for six miles by the
windings of the stream, which was so reduced in breadth and volume, as to
be scarcely a hundred yards wide, and not a fathom deep. There was now
little hope that it would lead into fresh water, although, from the
number of trials that were made, I am sure there was salt water enough
drunk to have physicked a whole village.

APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY.

The banks were still of the same monotonous character. In one of the
reaches I was fortunate enough to shoot a specimen of the large wary
brown-coloured rail I have before mentioned. From this, the only one
obtained, it has been described as Eulabeornis castaneoventris. It is
doubtless the bird called by the Port Essington natives, Morduggera, the
eggs only of which were found there, the bird itself not having been
seen. They were equal in size to those of a guineafowl, of a dirty white,
finely speckled with reddish brown.

Our course now changed to south-west, and as the width and tortuousness
began to decrease--a sure indication that the country was rising--we soon
made another six miles. But after this the boats could no further
proceed--the inlet, in short, having become a mere di