CONTINUE EXPLORATION. 7 



afforded by traversing water that had never before 

 been divided by' any keel, in some measure com- 

 pensated us for the annoyance from the musquitoes 

 and sand-flies, that took the opportunity of assailing us 

 while in the defenceless state of quiet necessary in 

 making observations. Pushing out into the middle 

 of the stream, and each wielding a beater, our tiny 

 enemies were soon shaken ofi\, and borne back to the 

 shore by a refreshing N.W. breeze. 



We found it necessary to keep a sharp look out 

 here for the alligators, as they swarmed in dangerous 

 numbers. 



The scarcity of fish, and the shallowness of the 

 water did not hold out much hope that the arm we 

 were tracing would prove of great extent ; still many 

 speculations were hazarded on the termination of it. 

 The temperature in the night was down to 78", and 

 the dew suflSciently heavy to wet the boat's awning 

 through. Anxious to know how far this piece of 

 water was to carry us into the untrodden wilds of 

 Australia, we moved off with the first streak of 

 dawn. Ten miles in a S. by E. direction brought 

 us to where the width and depth was not sufficient 

 to induce us to proceed further. Besides, as we 

 were then only fifteen miles from a bend of the 

 upper part of the Adelaide, which must receive 

 the drainage of all that part of the country, it 

 seemed improbable that any other large river existed 

 in the neighbourhood. Six miles from our furthest, 

 which was about thirty miles from the entrance, 



