We proceeded directly to the fords of the north arm of Botany Bay, which we had crossed in our last expedition, on the banks of which we were compelled to wait until a quarter past two in the morning, for the ebb of the tide.  As these passing-places consist only of narrow slips of ground, on each side of which are dangerous holes; and as fording rivers in the night is at all times an unpleasant task, I determined before we entered the water, to disburthen the men as much as possible; that in case of stepping wrong every one might be as ready, as circumstances would admit, to recover himself.  The firelock and cartouche-box were all that we carried, the latter tied fast on the top of the head, to prevent it from being wetted.  The knapsacks, etc.  I left in charge of a sergeant and six men, who from their low stature and other causes, were most likely to impede our march, the success of which I knew hinged on our ability, by a rapid movement, to surprise the village before daybreak.

The two rivers were crossed without any material accident:  and in pursuit of my resolution, I ordered the guides to conduct us by the nearest route, without heeding difficulty, or impediment of road.  Having continued to push along the river-bank very briskly for three quarters of an hour, we were suddenly stopped by a creek, about sixty yards wide, which extended to our right, and appeared dry from the tide being out:  I asked if it could be passed, or whether it would be better to wheel round the head of it.  Our guides answered that it was bad to cross, but might be got over, which would save us more than a quarter of a mile.  Knowing the value of time, I directly bade them to push through, and every one began to follow as well as he could.  They who were foremost had not, however, got above half over when the difficulty of progress was sensibly experienced.  We were immersed, nearly to the waist in mud, so thick and tenacious, that it was not without the most vigorous exertion of every muscle of the body, that the legs could be disengaged.  When we had reached the middle, our distress became not only more pressing, but serious, and each succeeding step, buried us deeper.  At length a sergeant of grenadiers stuck fast, and declared himself incapable of moving either forward or backward; and just after, Ensign Prentice and I felt ourselves in a similar predicament, close together.  ’I find it impossible to move; I am sinking;’ resounded on every side.  What to do I knew not:  every moment brought increase of perplexity, and augmented danger, as those who could not proceed kept gradually subsiding.  From our misfortunes, however, those in the rear profited.  Warned by what they saw and heard, they inclined to the right towards the head of the creek, and thereby contrived to pass over.