Correspondence — North Coast of Australia 193 



port, the country east of which Is mostly low, sandy, and apparently worth- 

 less. We passed plenty of Malays at work in the different bays, and numerous 

 natives with them. We anchored about y/2 miles south of Entrance Island ; 

 and on the morning of the 26th of March it commenced to rain heavily, and 

 never stopped for a minute until !he 3d of April. During the rain the wind 

 veered round and blew hard from all points, particularly from the north-north- 

 east, and we had much thunder and lightning, but the rain never stopped ; the 

 water alongside soon became quite fresh, and remained so for a week, so that we 

 filled up our tanks. The stream never exceeded four knots ; but the country 

 was evidently much flooded, numerous trees floating down. 



"The ' Beatrice' was twice up the river for a few days, and the boats explored 

 as far as they could get, the tracing enclosed will give an idea of the size and 

 .shape of the river. The country in the immediate vicinity of the upper part of 

 the river seemed to be low and swampy, with a veiy poor soil ; we saw no 

 bamboos, but numerous palms of various kinds. There seemed to be some 

 better land near the mouth of the river. The natives from the very first held 

 aloof from us, and although we tried every means to make them friendly, shewed 

 great hostility towards us. A party on the east side of the river mouth way- 

 laid Mr Grey and three men, on their return towards the boat, from making a 

 theodolite station, and answered overtures of peace by a shower of spears, 

 which was returned from the men's revolvers ; the natives did not care a bit for 

 them, and on our party making for the boat, gave chase, and flung shower after 

 shower of spears, fortunately at such a distance that they were easily dodged, 

 and none of our party were hurt. The arrival on the scene of the boat-keeper 

 with a rifle, sent them to the right about. I am happy to say that none of our 

 people were hurt. This is the only time we have come into open collision with 

 the natives, though they are always watching for a chance. 



"The party in camp, numbering twenty, have hitherto kept on good terms 

 with the natives, in which they have had to practice much forbearance, as they 

 are confirmed thieves, and manage to steal something every day. They are 

 good friends with the natives permanently settled near them, but large parties 

 continually come in from the surrounding country. At one time they had as 

 many as 160 round the stockade ; they then became very insolent in their 

 demands, frequently poising their spears at the whites when they are not 

 .satisfied, and on one occasion, organised a regular attack, but were apparently 

 frightened off by a few discharges of blank cartridge from a six-pounder. The 

 friendly natives are very useful in providing fish for the camp, which they bring 

 in large quantities (they spear them at night). One or two of the whites can 

 speak the native languages (for there are four of them on the ' Adelaide') pretty 

 fairly, but the natives do not seem to have picked up much English. 



" We had much sickness at the Liverpool at one time, half our working 

 hands, and two cases of scurvy, for the men had nothing but their salt provisions 

 and flour to live upon (we could catch no fish), but luckily we discovered a 

 grove of cabbage palms a few miles up the river, and managed to obtain over 

 150, so that when we sailed all hands were well. 



" Not having heard or seen anything of Mr M'Kinlay or his party, and our 

 provisions having completely run out, we were compelled to sail for this place 

 on nth of June, first burying two bags of flour, &c. . . . We have now 

 got a sufficiency of meat from the stores here, to last us fifty days, and give us 

 time to visit the Liverpool, bring some more provisions in a tank I have pro- 

 cured, and go on to the Roper River, where I expect the explorers have gone, 

 finding it impossible to make the Liverpool, from the low swampy nature of the 

 country round its head. 



" Timor KCEPANG, 22,d August 1866. — We sailed for the Liverpool River 

 on the 25th of June, and arrived at Mount Norxis Bay after dark on the 28th, 

 and next day managed to shoot and bring on board three buffalos — a great 

 addition to our stock of animal food. The aboriginal native, Bob White, 

 came on board, and volunteered to go with us to the Liverpool River, and 

 believing he might be useful to us, I took him on board. We weighed on the 

 morning of the 30th, and whilst standing across the bay west of the Goulbum 

 Islands, the same night White informed some of the men that he had heard of 

 Mr jNI 'Kinlay ; that he was at a place called Arrah, somewhere at the back of 



