154 STOKES's BAY. 



which he had been lazily reclining, into one of the 

 creeks we had so much difficulty in crossing. Wc 

 could not but feel grateful that even the existence 

 of these monster reptiles in this river was then 

 unknown to us, as the bare thought of a visit from 

 one of them would have added to the unpleasantness 

 of our position, while the actual presence of so 

 wholesale a gastronomer would perhaps have given 

 another and less auspicious name to Escape Point. 



A creek, ten miles from Point Torment, afforded 

 us shelter for the night, which was ao^ain wet and 

 squally. 



March 14. — At day-break the blue vault above 

 was still disfigured by dark inky blotches of clouds. 

 We reached the ship before breakfast, and found 

 that Mr. Helpman and Mr. Keys had ascertained 

 that the opening on the north-east side of Point 

 Torment was a great bay, extending ten miles in a 

 south-easterly direction, with a width of the same 

 distance : its shores throughout were fringed with 

 mangroves, through which the tide found its way, 

 inundating many miles of the interior at high water. 

 In the north and south corners of the depths of this 

 bay they found an inlet, each being about three 

 miles deep ; narrow, sandy ridges, almost dry at low 

 water, trending to the N.W., and separated by 

 channels from three to four fathoms, occupied the 

 greater portion of this extensive bay, which Captain 

 Wickham, out of compliment, named after myself. 



Point Torment afforded a very fair field for the 



