Survey of the harbour.

All the surveying force was now put in instant requisition; Captain Wickham went to examine an opening in the coast mentioned by Captain King, lying about twelve miles further to the westward, whilst the other boats explored the openings at the head of the harbour.

That on the eastern part, Mr. Fitzmaurice traced ten miles in a south-easterly direction, being the greatest distance it was navigable for a boat.  The remaining branch in the large opening, in the south-eastern corner of the harbour, Mr. Forsyth and myself explored South-South-East three miles, and South-South-West five more, the extent to which it was possible to advance.  Beyond, it was strewed with large blocks of granite; a fact, for which we were in some degree prepared, as in the vicinity of the Adelaide River we had proof of the primary formation of this part of the continent.  As the boat lay scarcely afloat between two of these lumps of rock, numbers of white ibises, with black necks, kept flying over us from the southward, indicating that a swamp lay in that direction.  We also disturbed several alligators, who slid off quietly into the water at our approach.  There was no variety in the shores of this inlet, composed like all the others, of an impenetrable network of mangroves.  A ridge of the same conical-shaped low hills before alluded to, as existing in this neighbourhood, rose upon our right as we came up, and bore from our furthest North by West two miles; from the highest part up the inlet in the south-west corner, east two miles.

The latter we found very tortuous, extending in a general direction south nine miles.  No events occurred worthy of any remark during our examination, except one of a trifling character:  the mosquitoes taking advantage of the calm, between the high mangroves on the banks, attacked us most cruelly, a circumstance we mention as trifling, as far as the reader is concerned, but of great moment to us.

After completing the survey of the southern and western portion of this harbour, we returned to the ship, where soon afterwards Captain Wickham also arrived, having found Patterson Bay to be a good port.  It trended in south ten miles, and East-South-East the same distance, forming quite an inner haven, which was named after Mr. Bynoe.

Natives on A raft.

At the turning leading from the outer to the inner harbour they came suddenly in view of a raft making across, a distance of three miles, on which were two women with several children, whilst four or five men were swimming alongside, towing it and supporting themselves by means of a log of wood across their chests.  On perceiving the boat they instantly struck out for the land leaving the women on the raft.  For some time the latter kept their position, waiting until the boat got quite near, when they gave utterance to a dreadful yell, and assuming at the same time a most demoniacal aspect, plunged into the water as if about to abandon the children to their fate.