This Was The
First Time Any Of The Natives Were Seen Armed, Or In Any Way Hostilely
Inclined.
The river ran to the north-west by north over a bottom of rock
and sand:
In point of depth, it was amply sufficient for much larger
boats than ours; but it was impossible always to avoid concealed
dangers, over which the waters did not cause the slightest ripple. The
large boat struck on a sharp rock, and with such violence as to stave
her bottom; she was immediately unladen, and temporarily repaired
without injury to the cargo. Although the river is extremely low, there
is a very large body of water in it; the outer banks are nearly a
quarter of a mile wide, and far out of the reach of flood, the marks of
which were, to our extreme astonishment, observed nearly fifty feet
high. We have not seen during these last two days any hill or other
eminence; the country within our sight and observation being perfectly
level.
June. 18. - As we were on the point of setting forward, a large party of
natives made their appearance on the opposite side of the river: they
set up a most hideous and discordant noise, making signs, as well as we
could understand them, for us to depart and go down the river. After
beating their spears and waddies together for about a quarter of an
hour, accompanied by no friendly gestures, they went away up the river,
while we pursued our course in an opposite direction. We had hitherto
met with no obstructions in the navigation, except such as arose from
the wrecks of successive floods lodging in the narrows; these were
easily overcome: the course of the river to-day for nearly six miles
was a fine and even stream, from forty to fifty yards wide, and from
eight to sixteen feet deep, over a bottom of rock and sandy gravel; when
a reef of rocks at once interrupted our progress in the laden boats, the
water breaking with such violence over them, that I was afraid they
would be greatly endangered even when light. The horses had stopped at a
cataract about three quarters of a mile lower down, and it appeared that
the rocky shoal extended to that distance, when a fall of five feet over
a bed of rocks would have stopped the boats altogether. The horses were
immediately unladen and sent to bring the cargos of the two boats, which
being accomplished, we got them safely over the shoals by the cataracts;
when hauling them over land about two hundred yards, they were again
launched into deep water. The country on either side during this days
journey was by no means so good as it had hitherto generally been, being
very brushy, and thickly timbered, chiefly with the species of
eucalyptus called box, and another kind appearing to be different from
those frequently observed. The banks of the river were very high; and,
notwithstanding the country was perfectly level, it was far above the
reach of any flood.
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