urselves upon a large island. I had a good view of the valley for 10 or
12 miles in an easterly direction over a country still very fertile, but
all that I saw tended to make me believe that the river had some
communication with the sea, somewhere towards the north-east.

We reached the camp before breakfast; and, as this was Sunday and our
ponies were rapidly improving from the goodness of their feed, I
determined to halt here for a day or two whilst a detachment examined the
country to ascertain, if possible, whether we were on an island or not,
and whether it was possible to cross the river near our present position.

March 5.

This morning accordingly an exploring party started; and, as it was
necessary that they should traverse the country on foot so as to be able
to cross the low marshy grounds near the river, I was, on account of my
wound, unable to accompany them, and therefore occupied myself in making
a set of magnetic observations.

March 6.

This afternoon Mr. Lushington and the party returned, having found the
northern bank of the river to consist of low marshy ground covered with a
luxuriant vegetation, and in some places with such forests of mangrove
trees that it was impossible to approach the stream. They however
succeeded in reaching one of the channels of the river, which was upwards
of 400 yards wide; the rise and fall of tide was here about twenty feet,
and the current, of course, extremely rapid. They reported the river as
being, to all appearance, navigable, and that the tide only set in from
the westward.

THE RIVER.

As the southern bank of the river was bordered by high rocky hills they
saw nothing of the country in that direction. Their report was on the
whole satisfactory, for it appeared that the good country still extended
along the northern bank, and that we were upon the mainland.

PORPOISES SEEN.

A good idea may be formed of the size of the river where the party made
it from the circumstance of their seeing a large shoal of porpoises.

IGUANA. DENSENESS OF VEGETATION.

March 7.

This morning we started early in a north-easterly direction and travelled
all day through a very fertile and picturesque country. On our left lay
hills covered with grass, and on our right extensive plains, through
which ran the Glenelg. The vegetation in these was so luxuriant that it
choked the fresh water up; and whole plains were sometimes thus inundated
ankle deep. The country was thinly timb