It Is A Probable
Supposition That The Natives, Warned By Experience Of These Dangerous
Flats, Rather Choose To Seek A More Precarious, But More Safe
Subsistence In The Mountainous And Rocky Ridges Which Are Occasionally
To Be Met With.
The river and lagoons abound with fish and fowl, and it
is scarcely reasonable to suppose that the natives would not avail
themselves of such store of food, if the danger of procuring it did not
counterbalance the advantages they might otherwise derive from such
abundance.
About three quarters of a mile farther westward we had to cross another
small arm of the river, running to the northward, which although now
full, is, I should think, dry when the river is at its usual level. It
is probable that this and the one which we first crossed join each other
a few miles farther to the westward, and then both united fall into the
stream which gave them existence. We had scarcely proceeded a mile from
the last branch, before it became evident that it would be impossible to
advance farther in the direction in which we were travelling. The stream
here overflowed both banks, and its course was lost among marshes: its
channel not being distinguishable from the surrounding waters.
Observing an eminence about half a mile from the south side, we crossed
over the horses and baggage at a Place where the water was level with
the banks, and which when within its usual channel did not exceed thirty
or forty feet in width, its depth even now being only twelve feet.
We ascended the hill, and had the mortification to perceive the
termination of our research, at least down this branch of the river: the
whole country from the west north-west round to north was either a
complete marsh or lay under water, and this for a distance of
twenty-five or thirty miles, in those directions; to the south and
south-west the country appeared more elevated, but low marshy grounds
lay between us and it, which rendered it impossible for us to proceed
thither from our present situation. I therefore determined to return
back to the place where the two branches of the principal river
separated, and follow the south-west branch as far as it should be
navigable; our fears were however stronger than our hopes, lest it
would end in a similar manner to the one we had already traced, until it
became no longer navigable for boats.
In pursuance of this intention we descended the hill, which was named
Farewell Hill, from its being the termination of our journey in a
north-west direction at least for the present, and proceeded up the
south bank of the stream. We were able to reach only a short distance
from the spot where we stopped last night, having been obliged to unload
the horses no less than four times in the course of the day, added to
which, the travelling loaded through those dreadful marshes had
completely exhausted them:
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