WELL AT PORT DARWIN. 17 



deep creeks branching off between N. E. and S. E., 

 the largest of which led into fresh water, but in 

 small detached pools, which are separated from the 

 salt, by a shelf of red porous sandstone, and 

 which two miles further became entirely lost in the 

 rocks. The green appearance of the gum-trees 

 and an occasional clump of pahns, which had 

 pleasingly succeeded the mangroves, as they ad- 

 vanced, assured Captain Wickham that there was 

 fresh water near. Probably, if they had carried 

 their researches further, they would have found 

 these signs reappear again, doubtless proceeding 

 from a swamp, the presence of which the reader will 

 recollect I inferred from seeino^ the ibis flocking' from 

 the south-west up the south inlet in Port Darwin ; 

 the west inlet of which is only one mile distant from 

 the north-east creek in the head of Bvnoe Harbour. 

 Doubtless when the country is not in its present 

 parched and thirsty state, all these are fresh at their 

 heads. 



The slow progress made in watering, from the soft 

 nature of the soil in the bottom of the well, lengthened 

 our stay considerably in Port Darwin. The water 

 oozed through the sides, beginning to do so at a depth 

 of twenty-five feet. The strata cut through varied 

 considerably, in part consisting of ironstone mixed 

 with a white kind of marie or pipe clay, for eight feet, 

 then sandstone of a reddish colour and in a state of 

 decomposition, with a darker kind of marie, in which 

 were small bits of mica, for a depth of sixteen feet, 



VOL. II. c 



