“which grew everywhere- luxuriantly, and’seeïnédJike other salt
marsheS, well adapted;?3Ebrthe purpose ofofattening catties i As
we .passed down the. Creek Iwe< saw :several%tóng'-T%k öf?a lahge
hizk> The length of 'this.MËrnèk. israbodtstyo mjifesj^M- a half,
the water.is iperfeetly salt; anditlbnds in a small' rtfn of. about
twelve-feet in.“'breadth: The tides which overflow lpfe %iust
evidently, a t times,dbe-greatly^ agitated, beyond what I am able
to aecountforfoy the-usual cMfeklof wind happening tin -
crease the height andfofceiof.sprin'g tides. ■ In mariy plaees thé
mud appeared to* be washed up in high ;b diks, and deepravines
to have been formed, and this-not long, since;- as I judge.djfrom
the softness of ithe mud, which made; walking:on: itd&ot Very
practicable. I could only attribute the&edftoodsi to rain,, which
in this Gountrycöftèn. falls in veryiheavyïtQrrents.-, ^The Hawk's^
bury river has afforded many examples n f this, Wat isfdmetiui&s
suddenly swohjginta manner unknown in respect, to the.rivers.df
Great Britain, to the;great damage .of the crops adjoining, tfrjt,
all before the flood being swept away, inra general desolation.
This marsh or flat extends for some milds in length and breadth,
and I examined it to a considerable distance from the end-iof
the Creek,' in order'to discover,, if possible, söhié: fresh "spring
water. I dug several holes with much eagerness, but found no
water but what was brackish, beyond what is generally'under-
stood even by that epithet.
My second mate was more successful in his; search, and had
discovered the stream, of fresh water. He had likewise taken a
couple, of cygnets which he brought on board alive'; one of
these became tame, and on my return to Sydney was presented
to Governor King.
On the 27th March, Mr. Murray went, accompanied by
Messrs. Barreillierand Cayley, with instructions to explore-the
fresh water stream, and to report how far it might be eligible
for
for the^dr^bse'of a watering place. 1 As to myself I made ex--
cuj-sionssdïénW shore to thÉterouMÉ ofdhfe-h'arbour.
Thd'beaA'Was ’eoterf#^with sheÈk-;kïn any." of? them>beau tiful,
and- j&Üb&of r Observed another
OBetek:®ili>'S0ilaV^»asyi®fe>lfo.r*es#hifeh I have, described; but
haiiïi^ljï^entrai^edit(uite^fihéflfhpsWithvb'eaéh,-lo,tthat the sea
oauld?t^t1®ter.‘ife^{.7rhe landdn^èÉeral;was much above the
labelled ithe'tsgfegp «and t abounded'1 with m WerwóodL interspersed
with-t^Ws-.' Thes.soiLwas ink^ömè^plaoes .light 'and'black, ini
óther&,%ïare4.'(Ma^:.ï,fï.I: was stiisbjatten'ded 'by the'faithful* Eura-
nabie; and - it ^GhaSnced' that w e fèl-Mn"' -with a* rocky point, about
VdiiMu I ojHgeEVed 'playing in-the water a' number offhose kind-
of f&hi^^c^le‘d4>^lï^bh. Shit^ell^Holland, - as I suppose * from-
feeia?fis3c'a-lès,^for in no; otherifespect'1 do- they* rèke'mble the fish
to, whictowefgive that name.. -These fish; .are", however/' excellent
eating,'ftand£ are“generally found®* shoals. I fp&pressed - a
desife %ioi th%natfv%.df; havingtsémrè,' and'- ]asked him whether
thfeyiVould bite at the;'hooky to which’hhï^èplied<ifi the affirma-i
Mypniffiihadmocsöoner èxpressed my, wish on thisfnatter, than-
tuTpixEgnahout, i massed'.my->eonipanic>n from fbehind.'mè:)'not
d i p t t i ^ the'.true i-cause, of hisiabsence,%l grew impatient and-
hahooddtTois - .'him, upon ..which die: instantly presented himself
frdurthe.woodiwith a small .stick inhiisrhand. Asking;;me»fi$f
my knife, he presently sharpened; one end to a point, add then
stripping * himself,'.be leaped. from| one. point< o f : the - rock to.
another until he, met;with an opportunity, óf striking a: fish/
which lie did,, the |stick penetrating quite through it; and in
this state he canie land^pxesehtéd'it to me. During this trans-
*, When Euranabie a'nd his wife came on board the vessel, afSydney/they, both-of them
recoivqd'dothing ; but when the weather proved warm, the woman threw aside her gown
and petticoat,1 and preferred appearing- i n ' the state of nature,’ ’or slightly coveted with a
blanket.-..'
action,