We Now Descried Some Of Them At A Distance, Who
Fled On Our Approach.
We came to a spot which they had just quitted and
observed the marks of children's feet.
The ground was covered with
freshwater shells of the sort found in the rivers of England and Scotland
and called the horse mussel, having sometimes small pearls in them.
"We ascended two heights which commanded views of the country for several
miles on every side. To one, Colonel Paterson gave the name of Ann's
Mountain after Mrs. King, the other he called Elizabeth's Mountain, that
being the Christian name of Mrs. Paterson. We now found that we had got
behind the range of mountains extending along the coast to the south and
west. We likewise saw the coast of Port Stephens and the chain of hills
inland stretching in a direction towards the north-east. Between us and
the hills was a space perfectly level for many miles, and to appearance
swampy. The land on the south side of the river was interspersed with
lagoons on which we killed some ducks but found them very shy. The
country seemed not to be destitute of inhabitants, some of whom we
descried at a distance. The river here meandered so greatly that to have
pursued its course the boats must have been pulled a whole day to have
gained a direct distance of four or five miles from our present station.
"The time limited for our departure for Sydney approaching very fast and
the survey still to be made not being less than 70 miles up the river, it
was judged prudent not to proceed any further.
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