THE MUSQUITOES. 129 



limit of its growth in that direction, and the Vic- 

 toria River, of which I shall have occasion to speak 

 hereafter, in lat. 14° 55', the northern boundary 

 of its indigenous empire. 



We saw no traces of inhabitants, not even the 

 thin rising smoke, which so often greeted our 

 eyes near the coast we had recently surveyed. I 

 climbed the highest tree we could find, and 

 from the elevation it afforded looked southwards 

 over a wide prospect of nothing but mangroves 

 and mud banks ; still interesting from the fact 

 that upon them the wondering gaze of the curious 

 European had never yet been bent ! 



Procuring the necessary observations completed 

 the duties of the day; but, alas! the sleep all 

 could have enjoyed so much after our work, 

 was rendered impossible by the swarms of mus- 

 quitoes, who at sunset relieved those of their 

 tribe upon whom the day duty had devolved, and 

 commenced a most unsparing attack upon us : all 

 devices to escape them were tried in vain, and some 

 of the men were really half mad with the insufferable 

 annoyance : at last, about eight o'clock, when 

 all patience seemed exhausted, a welcome peal of 

 thunder, and bright flashes of lightning announced 

 the expected and much desired squall. It served 

 to blow away some of our persecutors ; but our 

 rest was of very short duration, and I was at 

 length compelled to order the people to take to 

 the boats, fairly driven from the shore by our 



VOL. I. K 



