FIND A CHANNEL FOR THE SHIP. 33 



Our hopes of finding a river of some magnitude 

 were not in the least destroyed from what we had 

 seen from Fossil Head, and the southerly direction 

 of the flood stream fostered our belief. Independent 

 of these signs, we felt that we were again entering 

 upon a new part of the continent, and the thoughts 

 thus engendered acted like a powerful stimulant, so 

 that we were not easily cast down. 



The tide serving badly, and the day being far 

 advanced, it was decided that we should not move 

 the ship till next morning, when after getting 

 abreast of Fossil Head, we steered from it on the 

 bearing of the deep water channel we had seen 

 yesterday. We proceeded cautiously, feeling our way 

 with the boats a-head. After passing some distance 

 along the eastern side of a long dry sand-bank, we 

 were obliged again to anchor, both boats signalizing 

 a depth of only two fathoms. 



Table Hill bore N. 46" E., fifteen miles, and 

 Fossil Head N. 15° W. It was now necessary to 

 find a channel for the ship, which I succeeded in 

 doing the next day, and on that following, the 12th, 

 Captain Wickham, Mr. Bynoe, and myself, went to 

 visit the high table range, while Messrs. Fitzmaurice 

 and Keys were to examine the large inlet running 

 in towards the foot of Table Hill. 



By following a creek we almost reached the foot 

 of the high level range in the boat ; a line of cliff^s 

 stretched along near the summit, beneath which it 



VOL. II. D . 



