h horses, having been aground on the
X reef for several days; she subsequently got off, and had proceeded on
her voyage, not having sustained any very material damage; she had lost
four anchors, and the Coquette was going to try to pick them up. Having
explained to Captain Elliott my intention of proceeding up the Escape
River in the morning, he volunteered to accompany me, and to supply two
hands, which enabled me to man my two boats, thus making a most
formidable party.

At daylight made preparations for starting. I took the five-oared
whaleboat, and the second officer, accompanied by Captain Elliott, went
in the small boat, both well armed and manned. At half-past six A.M. we
left and ran before a strong breeze from the South-East, and stood in for
the entrance of Escape River. At half-past seven hauled in round the
south head (Point Shadwell): in crossing the bar, least water three
fathoms, the tide being about first quarter spring flood.

After entering the river perceived a bay, with small sandy beaches, one
of which Jackey pointed out as the place where Mr. Kennedy first met the
hostile natives; from this place we observed some of them launching a
canoe for the purpose of speaking us, but as we could not afford to lose
either the time or the tide I deferred communicating with them until our
return. After steering west about five or six miles, the river began
gradually to wind to the northward, and afterwards South-South-East; the
river six or seven miles from the entrance was upwards of a mile in
width, both banks were covered by a dense impenetrable mangrove swamp;
after the river trended to the southward we had to lower our sail and
pull; after pulling some four or five miles the river became gradually
narrower. I observed several branches of it trending to the northward and
westward; we remained on the southernmost branch, the principal one; as
we proceeded on the left hand side of the river we came to a clear place
free of mangroves, the only one we had seen; here we landed, and Jackey
pointed it out as the place where Mr. Kennedy had come down on the
morning of the day when he was killed; it was here Jackey advised him to
abandon the horses and swim the river, about thirty yards wide. Jackey
pointed out the tree where he made the horses fast whilst they went down
to the river and searched in vain for oysters, they having had nothing to
eat all that day.

We again proceeded, the river becoming gradually nar