CHAPTER 2.3.  VICTORIA RIVER.

Proceed down the river from Reach Hopeless. 
Meet watering party. 
One of the men deserts. 
Kangaroo shooting. 
The writer left to complete survey of river. 
Silk cotton-tree. 
Fertility of Whirlwind Plains. 
Attempt of one of the crew to jump overboard. 
Reach the Ship. 
Suffer from sore eyes. 
Lieutenant Emery finds water. 
Geological specimens. 
Bird’s Playhouse. 
Tides. 
Strange weather. 
Range of Barometer. 
Accounted for by proximity of Port Essington. 
Hurricane. 
Effects of the latter. 
Dreary country behind Water Valley. 
Fruitless attempt to weigh ship’s anchors. 
Obliged to slip from both of them. 
Proceed down the river. 
Complete survey of Main Channel. 
Visit south Entrance Point of river. 
Discover a number of dead turtles. 
Cross over to Point Pearce. 
Mr. Bynoe shoots a new finch. 
The Author speared. 
Pursued by natives. 
Escape. 
Flight of natives. 
Armed party pursue them. 
Night of suffering. 
General description of the Victoria. 
Gouty-stem tree and fruit.

Reunion of the boats.

November 13.

The day was devoted to fixing the position of several of the surrounding hills; and in the afternoon we obtained observations for rating the chronometers:  I found that one by French, which I had worn in my pocket, had gone most admirably.  Captain Wickham joined us in the gig after dark.  The evening was cloudy, and we had a sharp squall at midnight from south-east.

November 14.

Both boats were moved off down the river at daylight, and ere it had passed away, the ford above Steep Head was left behind.  We found that the watering boats had not got over the shallow below, so that we spent the night together; and a merry party we made.  We talked over all we had seen, and the hills that rose around echoed back for the first time the laugh and the song of civilized man, and our strange language was repeated as glibly by the rocks of Australia as if they were those of our own native land.  So true is it that nature is ever ready to commune familiarly with us, whereas by our very brethren we are looked upon as enemies to shun, and are incapable of making ourselves understood by them.

A deserter.

When the morning of the 15th broke it was discovered that one of the men belonging to the watering party had deserted during the night.  He had been guilty of this offence once before, in order to steal the spirits which had been buried for the use of my exploring party.  What however could have induced him to take this step a second time—­risking, without any apparent motive, the danger of being left on a strange, and almost uninhabited coast, it would be difficult even to suggest.  Parties were immediately