76 " USELESS BAY." 



first have seen the clouds after watching the ascent 

 of his own fire smoke through the still air, in the 

 same direction ; but that it should be implicitly 

 believed, as it evidently was by Miago, upon the 

 mere word of his fellovV countryman, did, I own, 

 astonish me ; and seems to indicate that, in their 

 social intercourse with each other, they may have 

 more reofard for truth than I was at first inclined to 

 give them credit for. 



Mr. Usborne was away to-day in one of the boats, 

 seeking a berth for the ship higher up the bay : 

 upon his return he reported that he had been over 

 the banks before mentioned, upon which he found 

 the water very shoal : the face of the country he 

 described as exceedingly low, with mud lumps not 

 unlike ant-hills,* scattered here and there over the 

 face of it, and several clusters of small trees. Natives 

 also had been seen, though no opportunity of ap- 

 proaching them had occurred, as the moment their 

 restless eyes, or quick ears, detected our approach, 

 they most rapidly retreated. 



January 19. — Two boats were despatched this 

 morning, under Mr. Usborne's command, to ex- 

 amine the eastern part of what I think may be 

 named very properly " Useless Bay." This would 

 have been my duty, had I not unfortunately been 

 taken ill the evening of the preceding day : the 

 symptoms were violent head-ache, and a disordered 

 state of the stomach, caused, the surgeon says, 

 * Subsequent experience literally verified this opinion. 



