convenience o f being nearer to the Glafs-Houfe peaks, which he
now intended to vifit. In the deepeft parts o f the river, there were
from four to fix fathoms water ; but the channel was much divided,
and narrow. They anchored near that place on the weftern fhore
where the man who had a family with him had called to them ; and
at this time they faw a fire, and heard feveral younger female voices
in the fame place.
On the following morning Mr. Flinders took the boat up a fmall
branch that pointed toward the peaks, but afterwards, joining the
fame ftream, formed two low mangrove illands, leaving the Glafs-
Houfes at fbme diftance on the left hand. About half paft nine he
left the boat, accompanied by two fearnen and the native. Steering
N. W. by W. through a low fwampy country, brought them to
the fide o f a creek, the banks-of which were low, muddy, and covered
with mangroves. This creek carried them by the fouth weft
near the head o f it, where the ftream, palling through a rocky
fwamp, permitted them to wade over it. Thence they fleered between
N. 50° and 6o° Weft, getting a fight o f the flat-topped peak
at times, which, appearing to be confiderably nearer than the higheft
Glafs-Houfe, was that which he firft meant to v ifit; but obferving
that one o f the round mounts with Hoping fides was ftill nearer,
he altered his courfe for i t ; and, after walking about nine miles
from the boat, reached the top.
The country-through which they had palled was low, fwampy,
and brulhy, and in the latter part o f the way fomewhat uneven.
In thofe parts which were fwampy, the furface was full o f winding
holes, where the water, lodging, rendered walking both difficult
Sntf tirefome. The places that were fomewhat higher were either
fandy or ftony, and in thefe the grafs tree (or gum rulh) abounded;
but, in general, the trees were the fame as before mentioned, except
that the pine was not obferved to be among them.
The mount was a pile of ftones o f all fizes, moftly loofe near
the furface. The decayed vegetable matter that was lodged in the
cavities
cavities produced a thick covering of long, but rather fpindly grafs,
very fit for thatch from its length. The afcent was difficult, and
fimilar to that up Mount Direftion, which Hands on the eaft bank
o f the Derwent river in Van Diemen’ s Land. The trees upon the
mount were the fame as on the level ground, but taller and more
ftraight.
From the fummit of this mount, the view o f the bay and neighbouring
country was very extenfive. The uppermoft part o f the bay
appeared at S. 24? E. and moft probably communicated with a line
of water which was vifible at S. 12 0 E. where there were feveral
diftinct columns of fmoke. This laft bearing, which Mr. Flinders
apprehended to be near the head of the river, he was not permitted
to enter with the floop, from the intricacy o f the channel, and the
Ihortnefs of the time which remained for his excurfion.
Near the head o f Pumice-Stone river there was a large fpread
o f water, bearing S. 72 0 E. and feeming to divide off into fmall
branches. There were other fmall branches falling into this below,
the whole forming into channels, which, ramifying through the
low country, drew off whatever water might collect within the ridge
o f the back mountains. Thefe appeared to be within the diftance of
between ten and twenty miles, lying in a north and fouth direction
; and the intermediate country to be nearly as low as that
which they had walked over. There was a large fmoke near the
foot o f them.
From this mount, the way was over an irregular country, the
higher parts of which were fandy and ftony, the lower fwampy
as before. At about two thirds of the diftance between it arid the
flat-topped peak (one mile and a half), they were induced by a
ftream o f water to reft for the night, the fun being then below the
trees, At feven the next morning they found themfelves under
the fteep cliffs o f the flat-topped peak. The ftone o f which this
was compofed was of a whitilh call, clofe-grained and hard, but
not heavy. It was not ftratified, but there were many fiflures in
it.