620 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



Mr. Crosbie penetrated this belt of mangroves with much difficulty 

 and saw the main ESCAPE RIVER [INLET]/ half a mile in width, with 

 no perceptible current. 



Keeping the mangroves in sight, we ran the inlet up on the 

 following day (lyth March). In 2 miles (S. 10 E.) we saw the 

 last of the mangroves, and got among the fresh-water heads of the 

 ESCAPE. One narrow creek, flanked by a PITCHER-PLANT SWAMP, 

 forced us a mile and a half to the east before we could cross. Rain 

 began here, and continued to fall in torrents for the rest of the day. 



We kept the former course (S. 10 E.), by scrub-capped stony 

 ridges intersected with pitcher- plant swamps, till we again came on 

 the ESCAPE RIVER, here running north-north-west. Having fol- 

 lowed it up for half a mile through scrub and brushwood, it bifur- 

 cated, and a narrow branch, not fordable, carried us, through 

 bog and heath, to NNE. After half a mile on this course, we made 

 for the nearest grass and camped. (CAMP 63.) For two days, in 

 trying to make to the west, we had only succeeded in describing 

 a horse-shoe bend and it appeared likely that the flooded branches 

 of the Escape would force us almost to complete the circle back to 

 our starting-point on the beach. 



Next day (zoth March) Mr. Crosbie found practicable crossings 

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

 west, through low heathy country, without meeting further 

 obstacles. Heavy rain began to fall and it was too late to make a 

 start when Mr. Crosbie returned. 



Following Mr. Crosbie's tracks of the previous day, we crossed 

 (2ist March) the two branches of the ESCAPE, the packs having to 

 be carried over the larger branch on a BRIDGE of saplings, while 

 the horses were crossed (just afloat) a quarter of a mile above. 

 After 2 miles to the west, mostly over bog and heath, we came to 

 another branch of the Escape, falling north. We ran this creek 

 up to its head in about 3 miles. For the first half mile a THICK 

 SCRUB had to be cut. Two miles further to the SW., ACROSS the 

 crown of the DIVIDE, when we were certain that we were at last on 

 the JARDINE FALL, we camped on the edge of a swamp. (CAMP 64.) 



On 22nd March we started to run the JARDINE VALLEY down till 

 we should be clear of the Kennedy River or Saltwater Inlet. Early 

 in the day the black boy detected CATTLE TRACKS and dung only a 

 few months old. We kept the Jardine side of the divide, which 

 is generally scrubby, and steeper on the eastern than the western 

 fall. We accomplished 8i miles, for the most part in a WNW. 

 direction, without meeting any creeks of importance. (CAMP 65.) 

 The next day (23^ March) we did not move, as there was heavy 

 rain in the morning, and two of the prospectors' HORSES were on 



1 The Escape River was named by Captain King, R.N. See Narrative of a Survey 

 of the Tropical and Western Coasts of Australia, 1816-1822. London, Murray, 1827. 

 See 24th July, 1819. R. L. J. 



