the circuitous route by land was fully three
miles in advance of the land party, in order to
prepare the aborigines for the reception of the
Expedition. As I set out from Mowa Cove
Frank crawled on hands and knees to a rock
overlooking the river to watch us depart, and
the^ same feeling attracted Manwa Sera and the
natives to the spot. Clinging close to the rock-
lined shore, we rowed out of the cove, in full
view of the river and all its terrors. For three-
fourths of a mile to our left the river stormed
down with long lines of brown billows. Arriving
at Massesse Point, or the neck of the walled
channel which separates Pocock Basin below
from Mowa Basin, the river relaxed its downward
current, and discharged fully a sixth of
its volume to the right, which, flowing against
the sharp edges and projections of the Mowa
cliffs, raised many a line of low waves, and
rolling towards us obliged us to hug the cliffs
and take to our cables. But the base of the
cliffs in many places afforded no means of foothold,
and, after a long and patient attempt
at passing those sharp angles, we were compelled
to abandon it and endeavour to breast the strong
current of the eddy with our oars. While, however,
there was a strong current running against
the base of the Mowa cliffs and washing its
boulders, there was also a slope towards the
vicinity o f the giant billows discharged from the
[June 3. 1877. ] THE WHIRLING POOLS OF MOWA. I 4 I
[lfossess£Point.J
cataract; and though we strenuously strove to
keep midway between the cliffs and the torrent-
like career of the stream to the left, it became
evident to us that we were perceptibly approaching
it- Then a wild thought flashed across my
fflind that it would be better to edge along with
it than- to contend against the eddy with our
heavy, leaky boat, and we permitted ourselves
to be carried near its vicinity with that intention,
but on nearing the rushing stream we observed
in time that this was madness, for a line of
whirlpools constantly plays between the eddy
and the down stream, caused by the shock of
the opposing currents. The down stream is
raised like a ridge, its crest marked by ever-
leaping waves, shedding a great volume over
its flanks, which cornea rushing to meet that
which is ejected by the eddy. The meeting of
these two forces causes one to overlap the
other, and in the conflict one advances or recedes
continually, and the baffled volumes create
vortices, around which are wheeling bodies of
water of great velocity, until the cavities are
filled, when the whole becomes replaced by
watery masses rising like mounds. Every minute
in endless and rapid succession these scenes
transpire. Such a one commenced before our
terrified eyes. A whirlpool had ceased revolving
for a brief moment, and in its place there
rose one of those mounds whose rising volumes