mangroves and studded with several
islets, occasionally covered by the tide. The course of the river still
trended to the south-west, in which direction we continued to pull but
found some difficulty from its being very shoal; for in the fair way
across there was not more water than eighteen feet at three-quarters'
flood. At eleven o'clock, having crossed the basin, we landed on an islet
which, like the rest, had been covered by the last high tide. The river
had now contracted to the width of one hundred to one hundred and fifty
yards and trended by a winding course to the south and south-east, but
the water was still as salt as ever although we were at least sixty miles
from the sea. As there was now no probability of our extending the
examination of this river for any useful purpose we stopped at high water
and landed on the bank to examine the country whilst the people dined. We
were about two or three miles from the base of a most remarkable
quadrangular-shaped mass of hills rising abruptly from an extensive flat
plain covered with salt: the sides sloped down with a very steep descent
to the base and the top of the range was circumvented with cliffs which,
protruding at intervals, so perfectly resembled the bastions and ramparts
of a formidable fortress that it wanted only the display of a standard to
render the illusion complete. It was named Mount Cockburn in compliment
to Vice-Admiral Sir George Cockburn, G.C.B., one of the Lord
Commissioners of the Admiralty. The accompanying drawing of this
remarkable range of hills was taken from the west point of the south
entrance of the gut.

All around us bore the most desolate appearance. The grass, which was
quite dry, wanted but a spark and a breeze to set the whole country in
flames. The soil on which it grows, which is about two feet above the
high watermark, is a stiff clay; covered with a slight incrustation of
salt on which the tracks of native dogs were noticed; several smokes were
observed at a distance but no natives were seen. The tide had now began
to ebb; and as there was no inducement to detain us for the next day to
examine it farther we set off on our return; and on our way landed for
bearings on the small islet in the middle of the Inner Basin. We also
went on shore in two places on the west bank within the Gut; at the first
we found the marks of an encampment of a tribe of natives: eight or nine
spots of circular form were cleared away amongst the grass a