ervation Island. The weather was very remarkable in the
evening--dark patches of clouds appearing in the western horizon, from
which vivid lightnings flashed, and loud peals of thunder roared. The
frightened stream of the sea-birds evinced how seldom nature puts on such
an aspect in this place.

CAPTAIN WICKHAM ASCENDS THE VICTORIA.

Before proceeding further with the ship, it was necessary to feel our way
with the boats. Whilst this was going on, Captain Wickham determined on
pushing up the river in the gig to ascertain if it was fresh sufficiently
near to water the ship from, when she had been taken as far up the
Victoria as it was possible. He left next morning on this more than
interesting trip.

FITZMAURICE RIVER.

The same afternoon Mr. Fitzmaurice returned, having, as we had suspected,
discovered a river that carried his boat thirty miles in an east
direction from the south end of McAdam Range. Towards the upper part it
was scarcely half a mile wide; but for an Australian stream was
remarkably free from bends, pursuing a straight course between rocky
heights, with a depth varying from two to seven fathoms. Many shoals
occurred towards the entrance, where in some places it was more than two
miles wide. This river was named Fitzmaurice River after its discoverer;
and the mouth or inlet of it, after his companion, Keys Inlet.

In sounding the channel, I found that when the hill Captain Wickham and
myself were first on, behind Entrance Isle, was in a line with the north
end of the high land at the south side of the entrance, it formed a good
lead up. In consequence we named it Leading Hill, and the end of the
range alluded to, Indian Hill, from our constantly seeing smoke near it.
A flat of three or four fathoms at low-water extended across the channel,
with River Peak bearing between North 35 East and North 64 East. I
visited Indian Hill, but failed to meet with any of the natives, although
I saw their fires not far off in the hills to the south-west. It is a
ridge covered with blocks of sandstone, with a few trees here and there.
From its summit I had an extensive view of the low land stretching away
to the northward, and forming the western side of the channel. It
appeared so cut up with creeks as to form a mass of islands and mud
flats, which appeared from the quantity of drift timber, to be frequently
overflowed, and partially so apparently at high spring tides. The
farthest high land I saw bore west about