May 24.

Having sounded the space between the anchorage and the shore, it was found that we were on the outer edge of a bar, within which the water deepened to five fathoms, and in the entrance there was as much as eleven and twelve fathoms; we therefore weighed the anchor, and, the wind blowing out, worked up towards the opening, which, as the tide was flowing, it did not take long to effect.  On passing the bar, we had not less water than eleven feet (low water soundings), after which the depth gradually increased.  An anchorage was taken up in the evening within the entrance.

May 25.

And the next day, after an attempt to reach further up, in which we only succeeded to the distance of a mile, the examination was completed by our boat.

It was found to run in, gradually narrowing and decreasing in depth for eight miles, and to terminate in two salt-water creeks.  The banks on both sides were impenetrably lined with mangroves, which effectually defied our attempts to land.  Several creeks, communicating with the low inundated land behind the mangroves, joined the main stream at intervals on both sides; but they were not interesting enough in their appearance to detain us.  We returned to the cutter at night.

May 26.

And the next day shifted our berth to an anchorage close to the shore on the north side of the entrance, for the purpose of wooding, where the trees were so convenient and close at hand that we completed our stock before dark.

During the evening, whilst we were occupied at the wooding-place, a party of natives were observed running towards us along the beach on the south side without the port, apparently returning from a hunting excursion, for the woods on the south side of the bay had been on fire for the last two days.  As they approached they retired behind the beach among the trees, and, upon their reaching the opposite side of the entrance, crept upon their hands and knees behind the bushes, where they remained, as they thought, concealed until the evening.  A little before dark they were observed to creep out and range themselves upon the beach, as if meditating upon their plans for the night, but by this time it was so dark that we could not see what they afterwards did; in order to deter them from approaching us, a musket was fired over their heads, and if this had the desired effect, it was a happy circumstance for them, for an immense shark was caught in the middle of the night, which, from the extraordinary capacity of its mouth and maw, could have swallowed one of them with the greatest ease.  On opening the animal, we fully expected to discover the limbs of some of the natives, who we assured ourselves had crossed over to our side the water; but we only found a crab that had been so recently swallowed that some of our people made no hesitation in eating it for their supper.  The night passed without our being disturbed by or hearing anything of the natives.