Dec. 15.—­I followed the foot-path of the natives, with the intention of continuing on it, until I came in sight of Mounts Bedwell and Roe.  If I had done so, much trouble would have been saved.  But, after we had travelled more than three hours, the country became very hilly and ridgy, and I supposed that we were close to those mountains, but were prevented, by the ridges, from seeing them.  We went consequently to the northward, and after an hour’s riding over a hilly, but openly timbered country, came to an easterly creek, which we followed down, until we found an abundance of water.  The upper part of this creek was very scrubby, and with but little grass.  I imagined that we had arrived at the west side of Port Essington, and that the creek on which we encamped was probably the Warvi.  To ascertain this, I rode down the creek with Charley:  it became more open; limited flats of sandy alluvium were clothed with the refreshing verdure of young grass, and with groves of Banksias; its hollows were fringed with large drooping tea-trees.  The creek itself was a succession of shady water-holes, out of which, at our approach dashed buffaloes, three and four at a time, shaking their muddy heads, as they scrambled up the steep banks, and galloped to the neighbouring thickets.  The stiff sedges of the salt-water, and the salt-water tea-trees, made their appearance about three miles from our camp; and it is probable that the sea was scarcely half a mile farther.  High hills rose to the northward, openly timbered, but at their base with patches of scrub, and very stony.  Here we heard the distant cooees of natives, which we answered, going in their direction, until we came to a camp, in which we found an old lame man, “Baki Baki,” and a short sturdy fellow, “Rambo Rambo;” both of whom knew a great number of English words, and were quite familiar with the settlement, and knew the Commandant, Mr. Macarthur.  They promised the guide us the next morning to Balanda, after having made many inquiries about our stock of provisions and of tobacco.  I made my latitude 11 degrees 26 minutes 18 seconds, by an observation of Regulus; which, allowing a possible error of a few miles, confirmed me in my belief, that we were at the head of the harbour; particularly as Baki Baki had told me that he had come this very morning from the settlement.

Dec. 16.—­When we arrived with our whole train at the camp of the natives, their behaviour was quite altered, and they now showed as little inclination to guide us to the settlement, as they had been eager last night to do so.  I persuaded Baki Baki, however, to go, at least part of the way; and, when we saw that he became tired, we mounted him on one of the horses, and led it by the bridle.  He pointed to the W.N.W. as the direction in which the settlement lay.  We travelled about five miles over stony ironstone ridges, with extensive groves of Livistona palm covering their slopes.  Here Baki Baki desired to dismount; and, telling us that it was a very good