280 DISASTER INLET. 



every where else all was mangrove. Whatever we 

 saw of the interior, appeared to be low patches of 

 hare mud, which bespoke frequent inundations. 

 We could also trace a low mangrove shore forming 

 the head of the Gulf, without any appearance of a 

 large opening, which was a bitter disappointment ; 

 in some measure, however, compensated by the fact 

 that it was all new, Flinders having expressed 

 himself doubtful how far back the shore lay. 



The point on which The Sand Hill is situated I 

 called after Lieut. Gore, and the inlet which we 

 entered just before dark, Disaster Inlet, from a 

 circumstance of what may be called a tragical 

 nature which happened in it. Like all the other 

 inlets, as we afterwards found, it had a bar scarcely 

 passable at low water for boats ; but within there 

 was a depth of two and three fathoms. It appears 

 that the streams passing out of these openings groove 

 out a channel in the great flat fronting the shores 

 for from one to three miles ; but as the distance 

 from their mouths increased, the velocity and con- 

 sequent strength of the stream diminished in pro- 

 portion, and, as we afterwards found, at this season 

 was never strong enough to force a channel the 

 entire way through the flat or bank at the entrance, 

 which was thrown out in consequence further from 

 the shore. The projection thus formed in the great 

 flat indicated the importance of the inlet. 



We passed the night a mile within the mouth of 

 Disaster Inlet, and next morning, which was cool 



