132 MOUTH OF THE FITZ-ROY. 



posed to visit at low water. From the yawl's mast- 

 head I traced the shore all round, except to the 

 south-east, where I could see an opening about a 

 mile wide. The western land was slightly elevated, 

 perhaps to 70 feet, and clothed with rather large 

 trees, while to the eastward the land appeared very 

 low. As the tide ebbed, we found, to our disap- 

 pointment and mortification, that the flat over which 

 we reckoned to secure a passage to the mainland, 

 never became quite dry, (the tide here falling only 

 18 feet) while from its soft and treacherous cha- 

 racter, it was impossible to cross it on foot. 



All doubt about our beinor in the mouth of a 



o 



river was put an end to by finding that, during the 

 last of the ebb, the water was nearly fresh. This 

 discovery was hailed by us all with a pleasure 

 which persons only familiar with the well-watered 

 and verdant fields of England cannot fully com- 

 prehend. 



Our success afforded me a welcome opportu- 

 nity of testifying to Captain Fitz-Roy my grateful 

 recollection of his personal kindness ; and I deter- 

 mined, with Captain Wickham's permission, to call 

 this new river after his name, thus perpetuating, 

 by the most durable of monuments, the services 

 and the career of one, in whom, with rare and 

 enviable prodigality, are mingled the daring of 

 the seaman, the accomplishments of the student, 

 and the graces of the Christian — of whose calm 

 fortitude in the hour of impending danger, or 



