On our return, which was over the same ground as we had passed in the morning, we landed near two or three gullies on the inner side of the island, which forms the eastern boundary of Munster Water, but were unsuccessful in all our searches after fresh water.

August 6.

At daylight on the 6th we got underweigh to a light air of wind from the southward, to leave Prince Regent’s River; but notwithstanding the vessel was under all sail she was very nearly thrown upon Lammas Island by the tide, which was setting with great strength through the shoal passage between it and Sight Point:  as we passed without it we were not more than five yards from the rocks.  The wind then fell to a dead calm and the brig was perfectly immovable in the water; but, drifted by the tide and whirled round by the eddies, we were fast approaching the body of the largest Midway Island, with a very great uncertainty on which side of it the tide would drift us:  when we were about three hundred yards from the island the direction of the stream changed and carried us round its south-east side, at about two hundred yards from the shore, but close to the low rocks off its east end, on which we landed two days since.  We were under great anxiety for fear of being driven over the reef, on which there could not have been sufficient water to have floated us; but our fears of that danger were soon over for the tide swept us rapidly round it.  At this moment a light air sprang up which lasted only five minutes, but it was sufficient to carry us past the junction of the Rothsay and Munster Waters with the main stream.  The vessel was at times unmanageable from the violent whirlpools through which we passed, and was more than once whirled completely round upon her keel; but our former experience of a similar event prepared us to expect it, and the yards were as quickly braced round.

Having passed all the dangers, the ebb-tide very soon carried us out of the river into Hanover Bay.  In passing the easternmost of the outer isles, the shrill voices of natives were heard calling to us, and Bundell returned their shout, but it was some time before we could discern them on account of the very rugged nature of the island:  at last three Indians were observed standing upon the rocks near the summit of the island but, as the tide was running out with great strength, we were soon out of hearing.

Soon after one o’clock the brig was anchored at about half a mile off the sandy beach in Hanover Bay, in eight fathoms (half flood) muddy bottom.  The boats were immediately hoisted out and sent up the river, but the tide was ebbing and the difficulty of filling the casks so great that, after great labour, we only procured a puncheon of water.  The launch was moored without the rocky bed of the river, while the jolly-boat conveyed the baricas to her as they were filled, but even the latter could not get within three hundred yards of the water, so that the people