We had remarked tracks of natives on shore but, as I saw by their fires that they were now at least eight or ten miles from us, I was under no apprehension of an attack from them.  The mosquitoes however threatened to be very troublesome, and when I say that just about sunset we were completely blackened from the numbers that covered us I do not in the least exaggerate; we could not make a fire to keep them away, and I therefore quietly resigned myself to my fate.  Poor Smith, who was already very feverish, passed a night of perfect torment, and awoke in the morning seriously ill.  We soon heard the voices of the party returning and, having helped them and their loads of water out of the mud, we returned down the creek.

COAST THE LAND TO THE NORTHWARD.

March 5.

On standing out there was a fresh breeze blowing from the south-east, and when we were about half a mile from the shore the water to the northward deepened a great deal, for although it was now nearly low tide we had here two and a half fathoms with sandy bottom.  All along the shoals we had met with abundance of shell and other fish, and the pearl oyster was very abundant; indeed the shellfish along these banks were more numerous and varied than I had ever before found them.  I saw but few shells which I recognised as belonging to the southern portions of Australia, whilst many were identical with those which occur to the north-west.

EXAMINE ANOTHER MANGROVE CREEK.  CHARACTER OF THEIR SCENERY.

There was no high land whatever in sight; but one low hill, which just appeared above the mangrove tops, bore north by east.  After running north-east for about two miles with the same depth of water we came to another opening in the mangroves of a more promising character than several small ones which we had previously passed, and as, from the greater depth of the water, the extraordinary low character of the coast, and the circumstance of the driftwood upon Dorre Island, I expected to find a large river hereabouts, I determined to examine even the smallest openings most narrowly; we therefore ran straight for this one, and found that it had a shoal mouth with only four feet water at the entrance.  The opening ran east 1/2 north, and after we had followed it up for about half a mile it became very narrow and shoaled to two feet, so we turned about and again pulled away to sea.  This opening, as well as the first we had entered, appeared rather like a canal running through a woody grove than an arm of the sea; the mangrove trees afforded an agreeable shade, and were of the most brilliant green, whilst the blue placid water not only washed their roots but meandered through the sinuosities of the forest like a quiet lake till sight of it was lost in the distance.