After we had • palled it*- we fellin With an hitherto unper-
ceived branch of Portjackfonharbour, a,long the bank oF
which the grafs was tolerably rich and fucculent, and in
height nearly up to the middle, interfperfed with a plant
much- refembling the indigo. We followed this branch
weft ward for a few miles, until we came to a fmall frefti
water ftream that emptied itfelf into it. ;■ Here we took up
our quarters for the night, as our halts were'always regulated
by frefli water, an eflential point by no means to be
difpenfed with, and not very abundant, or frequently .to be
met with, in this country. We made a kettle Of[ excellent
foup out of a white cockatoo and two crows which I had ftiot*
as we came along. The land all around us was fimilar to
that which we had palled. At night we had ? fchunderi,
lightning, and rain. The governor, though not free fronae
pain, was rather recovering.
24th. As foon as the dew, which is remarkably heavy in
> this country, was off the ground, we proceeded* to trace
the river, or fmall arm of the lea. The banks - of it were
now pleafant, the trees immenfely large, and at a confiderable
diftance from each other; and the land around us flat, and
rather low, but well covered with the kind of graft juft
' mentioned.
mentioned. Here the. tide ceafed to flow; and all further
' ^fogreftFo]® boats ^was flopped by a flat fpace of large broad
, ftonesy over which a'frelh water ftream ran. Juft above this
flat, ’ clofe to the waf-ërdidé, wé difeovered a quarry of Hates;,
from Which-wfe expeded to derive great advantage in refpeft
^o covering our-'-hobfes^ftoite»; &c. it beingta materiai
betond '€(tae^>tlóöndApft^ée^pröe«red in this c o u n t r y ,
on trial' it #&sT©und of nö üfë, as it proved to be ? of
a crumbling and rotten nature. On this’ frëfh water ftream,
as well ^as^on.thé fait, wc -faw a great many ducks and teal;
in the eOUrft^èft thè day, befides
two crows, and feme lofaqUets. ■ About four in the after-
noon-, bëfeg meair the head of the 'ftreamy and femewhat
appréhfenftvë of%airi;5 we pitched óul téat&j bëMèè th e graft.
bec’ame?wëï|T a^cireumftanOe'which-would have proved very
uncomfortable during the night. Here we had our ducks;
pickèd, fluffed with feme f l i è ^ o f :fait beef, >and roafted;
and never did a repaft feem mbit delicious ; the fait beeft
ferving as a palatable fubftitute for the want o f fait/ crave-
it an agreeable reliftu The 1 evening cleared up,' and the.
night proved dry. During, the J a f e | f we heard a noife
which-not a little furprifed us, 'on account'öf its refemblance
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