Here we encamped for the night, and hauled the seine with great success; and from the vast quantity of excellent mullet and other fish caught here, it got the name of Mullet Island.  Next morning we rowed into a branch, which the boats had been in the last time we were here, but had not thoroughly examined; we proceeded to the top, and found it very shoally, extending to the northward about four miles, and navigable only for boats, having but four, five, and six feet water in it.  After having satisfied ourselves as to the extent of this arm, we returned to Mullet Island, where we caught fish and dined.

In the afternoon, the governor and myself went in one of the boats, leaving the rest of the party with the tents on Mullet Island; we entered another branch which had also been seen last winter, but was not examined; we rowed up this about seven or eight miles, until it became so very narrow and shoally, having scarcely water enough to float the boat, or room to use the oars, that we thought it was not worth prosecuting any farther discovery at the risk of grounding the boat, and being left during the night; we therefore returned to Mullet Island, and spent another night upon it.  This branch is all shoal water, only five and six feet.

The next morning we struck our tents and proceeded, in the boats, to examine a point of high land, which, from our situation in the boat the day before, had the appearance of an island; of this we were determined to be satisfied, and we found it to be an island as we had conjectured.  In examining this, we were led into a branch which had not before been discovered:  we proceeded up this for a considerable distance, found good depth of water, and every other appearance of its being the opening of an extensive river:  we continued to row up in it the whole of this day, and in the evening we went on shore, on the most commodious spot we could find, which was a low marshy point.  Here we raised our tents, and spent the night.

At day-light in the morning it was so foggy, that we were obliged to defer our departure from this situation until ten o’clock, when the influence of the sun dispelled the mist, and we continued our course upwards, still finding good depth of water and strong tides; both which we considered as indications of a considerable river.  The whole of this day was employed in exploring and making what progress we could; the ebb tides we observed thus far up were considerably stronger than the floods, and the water had very little the taste of sea water; indeed, it scarcely could be called brackish.  We continued going up until the evening, when it was found impossible, at this time, to make any farther discovery; our provisions being nearly expended:  we filled our water-casks, where we gave up the pursuit, and there, although the tide was high, the water was perfectly fresh.