84 APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY. 



this inlet, which at this state of the tide appeared 

 to be of great extent ; but the bar which locked its 

 mouth, and over which the sea was breaking very 

 heavily, rendered it impossible to take a boat across 

 without evident risk, by which no real good would 

 be obtained, as the rise and fall of the tide, eighteen 

 feet, on this low coast, was more than sufficient to 

 account for the imposing, though deceptive appear- 

 ance of this opening. From the main- top-gallant 

 yard I was enabled to take an almost bird's-eye view 

 of the level country stretched apparently at my feet. 

 The shore, like the south side of Roebuck Bay, 

 was fringed with mangroves, while to the N.N.E. 

 lay an extensive plain, over which the water seemed, 

 at certain seasons of the year, to flow. The country 

 around, for miles, wore the appearance of an inter- 

 minable and boundless plain, with an almost imper- 

 ceptible landward elevation, and thickly wooded with 

 stunted trees. 



In sailing along this part of the coast we found 

 several inaccuracies in Captain King's chart, doubt- 

 less owing to the distant view with which lie was com- 

 pelled to content himself, and to the unfavourable 

 state of the weather against which he had to con- 

 tend. I was on deck nearly, indeed, the whole of 

 the night, baffled by flying clouds in my attempts to 

 fix our latitude by the stars : at length, however, I 

 succeeded in ascertaining it to be 17° 40' S. 



January 23. — The morning was fine, but the 

 wind we had experienced the preceding night 



