ntinued our journey about nine miles west by north to
latitude 15 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds, over a rather broken country
alternating with Bauhinia plains and a well-grassed forest. The banks of
a large lagoon, on which several palm trees grew, were covered with heaps
of mussel-shells. Swarms of sheldrakes were perching in the trees, and,
as we approached, they rose with a loud noise, flying up and down the
lagoon, and circling in the air around us. A chain of water-holes,
fringed with Mangrove myrtle, changed, farther to the westward, into a
creek, which had no connection with the river, but was probably one of
the heads of the Nassau. We crossed it, and encamped on a water-hole
covered with Nymphaeas, about a mile from the river, whose brushy banks
would have prevented us from approaching it, had we wished to do so.

Though the easterly winds still prevailed, a slight north-west breeze was
very distinctly felt, from about 11 o'clock a.m.

June 25.--We travelled about ten miles N.N.W. to latitude 15 degrees 51
minutes 26 seconds, but did not follow the river, which made large
windings to the northward. It was very broad where Brown saw it last,
and, by his account, the brush was almost entirely composed of palm
trees. He saw a little boat with a fine Cymbium shell floating on the
water. Our road led us over a well grassed forest land, and several
creeks, which, although rising near the river, appeared to have no
communication with it. Some plains of considerable size were between the
river and our line of march; they were well grassed, but full of
melon-holes, and rose slightly towards the river, forming a remarkable
water-shed, perhaps, between the Nassau and the Mitchell. As we
approached the river, we entered into a flat covered with stunted box,
and intersected by numerous irregular water-courses. The box was
succeeded by a Phyllanthus scrub, through which we pushed, and then came
to a broad creek, filled with fine water, but not running, although high
water-marks on the drooping tea-trees proved that it was occasionally
flooded. We did not understand, nor could we ascertain, in what relation
this singular country and the creek stood to the river, of which nothing
was to be seen from the right bank of the creek.

The scrub, and the high grass along the creek, were swarming with white
flanked wallabies, three of which Brown and Charley succeeded in
shooting; and these, with a common grey kangaroo caught by Spri