264 Kennedy's expedition. 



At daylig'ht made preparations for starting". I 

 took the five-oared whaleboat^ and the second officer, 

 accompanied by Captain Elhott, went in the small 

 boat, both well armed and manned. At half-past 

 six A.M. we left and ran before a strong* breeze from 

 the S.E., and stood in for the entrance of Escape 

 Iliver. At half-past seven hauled in round the 

 south head (Point Shad well) : in crossing- the bar, 

 least water three fathoms, the tide being- about first 

 quarter spring- flood. 



After entering- the river perceived a ba}^, with 

 small sandy beaches, one of which Jackey pointed 

 out as the place where Mr. Kennedy first met the 

 hostile natives ; from this place we observed some 

 of them launching- a canoe for the purpose of 

 speaking- us, but as we could not afford to lose 

 either the time or the tide I deferred communicating- 

 with them until our return. After steering- west 

 about five or six miles, the river beg-an g-radually 

 to wind to the northward, and afterwards S.S.E. ; 

 the river six or seven miles from the entrance was 

 upwards of a mile in width ; both banks were 

 covered by a dense impenetrable mang-rove swamp 5 

 after the river trended to the southward we had to 

 lower our sail and pull ; after pulling- some four or 

 five miles the river became g-radually narrower. I 

 observed several branches of it trending- to the 

 northward and westward 5 we remained on the 

 southernmost branch, the principal one j as we 

 proceeded on the left hand side of the river we came 



