FROM FALSE ORFORD NESS TO SOMERSET 607 



a substantial BRIDGE had to be built with saplings. " Diver," 

 getting wide of the bridge, fell into the water, and his packs went 

 down the stream and were rapidly carried out of sight, and were 

 only recovered after much trouble. A good deal of sugar and some 

 cartridges were destroyed, the pack-saddle was broken, and all 

 Hume's clothes and bedding were soaked. 



After 2 miles of travelling to W. 10 S. (the first mile through 

 " flooded country " from which we gladly emerged on well-grassed 

 forest land) we reached the edge of a BOG, on the further side of 

 which a valley with mangroves (THE ESCAPE) separated us from a 

 low sandstone tableland. (CAMP 62.) [The scene of KENNEDY'S 

 DEATH, which took place on or about 5th December, 1848, was 

 probably between my Camps 62 and 63. COSTIGAN, DUNN 

 and LUFF were left about igth November, at what Kennedy called 

 PUDDING-PAN HILL, which, however, was not Bligh's Pudding-Pan 

 Hill, and must have perished after a few days. R. L. J.] 



Crosbie penetrated through the BOG and MANGROVES a very 

 difficult task and saw the ESCAPE. The river, or rather arm of 

 the sea, was about half a mile wide, with no perceptible current. 



The day was fine, but a little rain fell as we got into camp. The 

 night was fine. 



March 19. As crossing the Escape with horses was simply 

 impossible, there was no help for it but to run it up till it became 

 a fordable fresh-water creek. 



For 2 miles to SSE., on soft grassy timbered ridges, we kept the 

 mangroves in sight ; then the mangroves disappeared, and we 

 thought the inlet was going to die off in swamps, one of which, with 

 its gully, we crossed on our course. 



In i mile further S. 10 E., over stony and grassy timbered 

 ridges (brown ferruginous sandstone and oolite), just as I thought 

 we were at last rid of the Escape, we were stopped by a narrow 

 PITCHER-PLANT SWAMP, which forced us 2 miles to the east before 

 we could head it. 



In 2i miles to SSE., by stony ridges capped with SCRUB, and 

 intersected by heathy and pitcher-plant BOGS, we reached the 

 ESCAPE RIVER, here a fresh-water creek of the third magnitude. 

 On running it up for half a mile to the south-east, through SCRUB 

 AND BRUSHWOOD, we found it split up into two branches. The 

 left branch came from the north-north-east. We ran it up for 

 half a mile, through BOGGY HEATH, when, finding that it was not 

 fordable, we made for the nearest grass and camped. (CAMP 63.) 

 The morning was fine, but heavy RAIN began about midday, 

 and continued to fall till after we had got into camp. A little 

 rain fell during the night. 



March 20. The morning was fine. Heavy RAIN began about 

 midday, and fell for three hours or so. Crosbie crossed the two 

 branches of the Escape River, and got away for about 2 miles to 



