148 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



marks on it, the water in the rainy season must rise 12 feet, 

 consequently covers the whole of the breadth of the chan- 

 nel, with the exception of the summit of the island ; and 

 with the encreased velocity, must then produce a fall some- 

 what more consonant to the description of the natives. In 

 ascendina: two hills we observed the river both above and 

 below the fall to be obstructed by rocks as far as we could 

 see, which might be a distance of about four miles. Highly 

 disappointed in our expectations of seeing a grand cataract, 

 and equally vexed at finding that the progress of the boats 

 would be stopped, we climbed back to our people, whom 

 we reached at four o'clock totally exhausted. 



The principal idea that the fall creates is, that the quan- 

 tity of water which flows over it, is by no means equal to the 

 volume of the river below it; and yet, as we know there is not 

 at this season a single tributary stream sufficient to turn a 

 mill, below the fall, we can hardly account for this volume, 

 unless we suppose, as Dr. Smith suggests, the existence of 

 subterranean communications, or caverns filled with water. 



After having refreshed and rested ourselves, I waited on 

 the Chenoo with a little brandy, and found less pomp and 

 noise, but much more civility and hospitality, than from the 

 richer kings I had visited. This old man seemed perfectly 

 satisfied with our account of the motives of our visit, not 



