ew Hill and detained us the whole of the following day which was
unsuccessfully spent in examining the gullies in search of fresh water: a
hole was dug in one of the most favourable spots we could find; and at
the depth of three or four feet the earth gradually became so moist as to
flatter us with the hope that our labours would be rewarded by success:
at three feet deeper water began to ooze through; but, upon tasting it,
it turned out to be quite salt. Another place higher up was tried with
the same result upon which further search was abandoned as useless.

In the evening we ascended a hill near the anchorage; whence a favourable
view was obtained for the construction of my chart. The space behind the
beach to the foot of the hill is occupied by a level plain that has
evidently been formed by the deposition of alluvial soil; over which, in
many places, the last night's high tide had passed; but those parts which
it had not reached were covered with a thin layer of salt which at a
distance exactly resembled hoar-frost. Upon it was observed the track of
a dog that had evidently been running towards the saltwater pits to
quench its thirst; and this, I fear, is only a proof of the total absence
of fresh water, which, indeed, the desolate and burnt up appearance of
everything around was sufficient of itself to bespeak. The country at the
bottom of the gulf appeared to be of a rugged and mountainous character:
the hills were observed in detached ranges to rise abruptly from a low
level plain extending to the shore, the edge of which was lined as far as
we could see by a belt of mangrove bushes. These plains were covered with
salt incrustations over which were scattered the stems and branches of
trees that had evidently been washed down from the hills and deposited
there by inundations to which this country appears to be frequently
subject. The trees appeared to be of so much larger size than any we have
seen growing near the coast that we reasonably concluded the interior to
be of a much more productive character than the country in the vicinity
of the sea. Our means were however too confined to satisfy ourselves of
this interesting fact.

September 23.

The following morning, the weather being more favourable, we left the bay
and, with the remainder of the flood tide, beat through the narrows; in
which, at one cast, we had no bottom at forty-five fathoms. As soon as we
passed this strait we entered the basin and a littl