I Have, However, Occasionally Made Excursions Of
Five Or Six Miles, And Never Perceived Any Difference In The Elevation
Of The Country.
To-day the course of the river has been a little south
of west:
Its windings are very frequent and sudden, fully accounting for
the apparent heights of the floods, of which marks were observed about
thirty-six feet above the level of the stream. At six o'clock the boats
had not arrived; and as I had given directions on no account to attempt
to proceed after dark, I ceased to expect them this evening.
May 4. - As soon as it was light I sent two men up the river to search
for the boat: at nine o'clock one of them returned, having found it
about four miles back. It appeared that the large boat had got stoved
against a tree under water, and that the people were obliged to unload
and haul her on shore to undergo some repairs, which they had effected;
but the rain prevented them from paying her bottom. They expected to be
able to proceed in an hour or two, as the weather had begun to clear up.
It was fortunate that no damage had befallen any part of the boat's
lading. At twelve proceeded about three quarters of a mile down the
river, and from a small eminence half a mile north of it, an extensive
tract of clear country was seen, bearing N. 50. W., about two or three
miles from us, having a low range of hills bounding them in the
direction of S. 65. W. and N. 65. E. The river wound immediately under
the hill, taking a westerly direction as far as I went, which was about
three miles; its windings were very sudden, and its width and depth much
the same as before. The country, as far as I could see, was precisely
similar to that already passed over: the hills were slaty and barren,
with a few small cypresses: in fact, I have seen them grow on no other
spots so frequently as on those stony hills. The boats arrived about two
o'clock.
May 5. - Proceeded down the river, ascended the eminence mentioned
yesterday, and from the top of a cypress tree a very distant view of the
whole country was obtained: the opening through which the river
apparently runs bore S. 75 1/2 W.; the country to the south and
south-west extremely low. A range of hills, lying nearly east and west,
bounded the level tract on the other side of the river; these hills and
two or three detached hammocks excepted, there was nothing to break the
uniformity of the scene.
The country was in general poor, with partial tracts of better ground;
the hills were slaty, and covered as well as the levels with small
eucalypti, cypresses, and casuarinas. About a mile from this place we
fell in with a small tribe of natives, consisting of eight men; their
women we did not see.
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