The tide serving badly, and the day being far advanced, it was decided that we should not move the ship till next morning, when after getting abreast of Fossil Head, we steered from it on the bearing of the deep-water channel we had seen yesterday.  We proceeded cautiously, feeling our way with the boats ahead.  After passing some distance along the eastern side of a long dry sandbank, we were obliged again to anchor, both boats signalizing a depth of only two fathoms.

Find A channel for the ship.

Table Hill bore North 46 degrees East, fifteen miles, and Fossil Head North 15 degrees West.  It was now necessary to find a channel for the ship, which I succeeded in doing the next day, and on that following, the 12th, Captain Wickham, Mr. Bynoe, and myself, went to visit the high table range, while Messrs. Fitzmaurice and Keys were to examine the large inlet running in towards the foot of Table Hill.

By following a creek we almost reached the foot of the high level range in the boat; a line of cliffs stretched along near the summit, beneath which it sloped down rapidly to the plain.  We ascended by a slight valley, communicating with a break in the cliffs, but found on reaching the top that instead of being on a level, we were standing amidst a series of undulations or low hills, forming the crest of a platform, but so blended together, and of so nearly the same height as to appear in the distance one continuous plain.  It was, therefore, with some difficulty that we could find the highest part, each, until we reached it, appearing to be so.  Ultimately I was compelled to climb a tree, in order to obtain the necessary angles.

View from table hill.

The view was very extensive, a wide inlet separating the range we stood on from other high land trending southward, with great irregularity, from the base of which stretched out a long plain, similar to that which lay at our feet.  The latter was intersected by creeks that could be traced by the mangrove fringe which marked their course.  Many parts of the low lands were covered with a salt incrustation, and here and there were scattered trees deposited by the overflows of the water, that still appeared to flow from the southward.  The sight of this driftwood and many minor appearances, was indeed most welcome, and added full confirmation to the opinion that we were now within the mouth of a large river.

To the South-West, and distant thirteen miles, were two large islands, which from the remarkable shape of two patches of trees on their northern ends, we named Quoin and Clump Islands.  A small patch of low land was discovered beyond them, between which and Quoin Island appeared the proper channel.  That, however, lying between the islands seemed sufficiently large for the ship.  Being moreover within our immediate reach, it was determined that we should proceed by it.