As We Had
Always Experienced The Difficulty, Not To Say Impracticability Of
Attempting To Go Round Such Inlets As These.
We stopped about half
a mile inside the entrance, on a spot affording good grass and water
for the horses, the greater part of which were entirely knocked up;
insomuch that I began to fear we would take very few of them to
Newcastle.
It being early in the day, a party proceeded to explore
the shores of the inlet, to ascertain if it was possible for us to
proceed round it. After several hours' examination, and walking from
six to eight miles, we were obliged to give up all intention of
proceeding circuitously; and found that our efforts must be directed
to effect a passage near the entrance, since numerous fresh water
runs having their source in deep and impassable swamps or lagoons,
presented an insurmountable barrier to the horses. The main inlet
extended in two wide and extensive branches to the south-west and west,
the termination of which could not be seen, the water being apparently
deep; and the country to the westward rising into forest hills. In this
perplexing situation, with no other prospect before us but that of
effecting our own passage in a bark canoe, and being obliged to leave the
horses behind us; since the width of the channel (which at low water we
had the satisfaction to perceive did not exceed a quarter of a mile)
and the extreme rapidity of the tide, which ran at the rate of at
least three miles per hour, precluded all reasonable hope that,
in their present weak state, they would have strength to swim over.
In this state, the boat which had been washed on the beach suddenly
occurred to us.
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