ASCENT OF THE FITZ-ROY. 145 



darting into your flesh, might put the patience 

 of Job himself to a severe trial. 



March 10. — After such a night of torment, 

 we hailed the morning with delight ; and having 

 partaken of an early breakfast, proceeded on our 

 interesting discovery. The first reach took us 

 more than a mile, in a S.W. by W. direction, the 

 width of it being towards the latter end nearly 

 a quarter of a mile; the deepest water, (from seven 

 to eight feet) was on the west side, and a dry flat of 

 sand fronted the other for some distance. The course 

 of the river now changed, first to S.E. then round 

 to W.N.W. enclosing a mile of ground. We had 

 great difficulty, owing to the water being very shoal, 

 in getting our boats through the next reach, which 

 was rather more than a mile in a W. by S. direc- 

 tion. After threading our way through three more 

 reaches, trending S.S.W., — S.W., and S. and from 

 half to one mile in length, the shades of evening 

 and fatigue attending a long and unsatisfactory 

 day*s work, warned us that it was time to seek 

 a resting-place for the night, although we had 

 but little hopes of obtaining any. We had made 

 good but six miles during the day in a general S.W. 

 by W. direction. Our progress being delayed by 

 the difficulty we had in getting the boats over the 

 shallows, and by a current running at the rate of 

 from one to two miles an hour. 



The depth of the river varied during the day 



VOL. I. L 



