262 CHIMMO ON THE [Jan. 12, 1857. 



consisted of seven thatched houses, three huts, some sheds for cattle 

 and sheep-pens, two deep and good wells, and an entrenchment all 

 round. No natives had been near the camp since Gregory's party 

 left. A road was cut several miles, in a S.S.E, direction, as straight 

 as an arrow. I sat down at Gregory's table, and penned a notice, 

 after placing which, and while the men were getting their dinners 

 under a shed, I amused myself by sketching the camp from Baines's 

 window, as it was too hot to venture out to do so. The boat's crew, 

 having found a small pot of black paint, inscribed some amusing 

 notices outside the doorways. On the door of Mr. Baines's hut, after 

 I came out, I saw hanging on a board, — " Victoria Hotel. Good 

 Beds, &c. Ginger Beer and Eefreshments." 



The evaporation in this river is very excessive, amounting to 13° 

 between the wet and dry thermometers. The backs of all our books 

 parched and curled in every shape and form. A boxwood ruler, on 

 my table, warped 3-8ths of an inch in 24. A boxwood thermometer, 

 3-8tlis of an inch, wai-ped 1-1 0th, threatening to break the glass 

 tube. 



Coming out of the Victoria Eiver, the ' Torch ' struck on a bank, 

 where at low-water her keel was 7 feet above the low-water line. 

 This bank has accumulated from the strength of the tide, consequent 

 on a rise and fall of 24 feet, since Captain Stokes's survey in 1839, 

 when he found ^ fathom at low-water springs. 



I had intended to make a few remarks during my week's visit to 

 the Victoria Eiver, but Captain Stokes gives so excellent a descrip- 

 tion of it, that it is unnecessary for me to do so. 



Finding that the schooner had only left six weeks since for Coe- 

 pang, I made all haste after her, but, on ariival there, found that 

 she had been sent to Surabaya for docking and repairs. 



At Coepang, I received a request from Mr. Baines to proceed to 

 the Albert Eiver, but as at the same moment Mr. Baines might be 

 starting from Surabaya in another chartered vessel, and we should 

 consequently be sailing side by side until anchoring o& the mouth 

 of the river, and then find that two vessels were performing one and 

 the same service, I, the next morning, started for Surabaya, still 

 with a hope of communicating with him. On my arrival there, 

 however, I found that this section of the Expedition had started in 

 a new chartered schooner on the 31st of August ; and, from her 

 being a well-found, substantial vessel, she would reach the Albert 

 Eiver about the end of October, long before the Expedition could 

 suffer any privation from hunger. 



The President returned the thanks of the Society to Lieut. Chimmo. He 

 rejoiced that they had among them a gentleman who had come back from fol- 



