- The fine weather still continues to favour us. The river rose
in the course of the night upwards of a foot. 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.
