BOTANGA. 385 



lagoon bursting its banks, the overflow forcing its 

 way into the sea. The next morning, as the surf 

 was rather high, we had the canoes carried over 

 the narrow strip of land on which the factory 

 stands, and launched on the lagoon, so as to avoid 

 the bar. 



At about 8 a.m. we pulled on board the 

 " Minerva," and shortly after our arrival on board 

 the anchor was weighed, and although there was 

 scarcely a breath of air to fill the sails, the little we 

 had was favourable, and we drifted with the current 

 slowly down the coast. 



February 6th. — At 4 p.m. we anchored off 

 Botanga, and I immediately had my boat lowered 

 and pulled ashore, the bar offering no obstruction. 

 Within a quarter of a mile from the beach, the 

 Botanga river flows over a ledge of rock about 

 forty feet high, and forms a beautiful cascade, with 

 a lake in the foreground. The luxuriant tropical 

 verdure of the forest on each side, with the 

 Elephant Mountains in the distance, forms a most 

 picturesque scene, such as Constable would have 

 loved to transfer to canvas. I called at the factory, 

 2c 



