MORNING INLET. 289 



projection that we called Middle Point. The shore 

 between fell back, forming a bight three miles deep, 

 in lat. 17" 44' S., the most southern shore of the 

 Gulf. A growth of mangroves prevented our land- 

 ing at high water, and at low a soft mud flat fronted 

 the shore for the distance of a mile and more. Five 

 miles from Disaster Inlet there was a small creek ; 

 with others, three, four, and six miles westward of 

 Middle Point. Two miles south-east of it was an- 

 other opening of more importance, almost forming 

 a channel quite through the flat at the entrance, 

 which extended three miles off the north-west side 

 of Middle Point. I named this Morning Inlet, 

 from the time at which I entered it ; and after pro- 

 ceeding a mile in a southerly direction landed for 

 observations, just within the mangroves that fringe 

 the entire coast. My view of the interior was very 

 limited : for some distance were patches of bare 

 mud, whitened with a salt incrustation, which 

 appeared the character of the country immediately 

 behind the mangroves ; afterwards it rose into 

 plains, on which small gum-trees were to be seen 

 in the distance. 



From Morning Inlet the coast was slightly waving 

 and trended E. 20° N. At the end of twelve miles 

 we found a little opening on the south-east side 

 of a small point which concealed the boats from 

 two natives, who were out on the mud flats, till 

 we got close to them. They gazed for a moment 

 at the strange apparition, and then made off as fast 



VOL. II. u 



