I Made The Latitude Of These Lagoons, By An Observation Of Castor, 12
Degrees 23 Minutes 19 Seconds.
Dec. 6.
- The natives visited us again this morning, and it was evident
that they had not been with their gins. They invited us to come to their
camp; but I wished to find a crossing place, and, after having tried in
vain to pass at the foot of the rocky hills, we found a passage between
the lagoons, and entered into a most beautiful valley, bounded on the
west, east, and south by abrupt hills, ranges, and rocks rising abruptly
out of an almost treeless plain clothed with the most luxuriant verdure,
and diversified by large Nymphaea lagoons, and a belt of trees along the
creek which meandered through it. The natives now became our guides, and
pointed out to us a sound crossing place of the creek, which proved to be
the head of the salt-water branch of the East Alligator River. We
observed a great number of long conical fish and crab traps at the
crossing place of the creek and in many of the tributary salt-water
channels; they were made apparently of Flagellaria. Here I took leave of
our guides: the leader of whom appeared to be "Apirk," a young and
slender, but an intelligent and most active man. We now travelled again
to the northward, following the outline of the rocky ridges at the right
side of the creek; and, having again entered upon the plains, we encamped
at a very broad, shallow, sedgy, boggy lagoon, surrounded with Typhas,
and crowded with ducks and geese, of which Brown shot four.
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