222 THE RIVEU UNNAVIGABLE. [CH. V. 



Larmer and 14 men, leaving the depot in charge of Joseph 

 Jones (assistant overseer), and six other men, armed with 

 four muskets and as many pistols. We proceeded Avell 

 enough, some way down the river, but at length a shallow 

 reach, first occasioned much delay, and afterwards, rocks so 

 dammed up the channel, that it was necessary to unload and 

 draw the boats over them. Our progress was thus extremely 

 slow, notwithstanding the activity and exertions of the men, 

 who were almost constantly in the water, although a bitter 

 cold wind blew all day. By sunset we had got over a bad 

 place, where there was a considerable fall, when, on looking 

 round the point, we found that the bed of the river was full 

 of rocks, to the extent of nearly a mile. I, therefore, en- 

 camped only a few miles from the depot, the latitude being 

 30° 9' 59" S. These unexpected impediments to our pro- 

 gress down the river, determined me to return to the depot 

 with the boats, and afterwards to explore its course on horse- 

 back, until I could discover more of its character and ulti- 

 mate course. No time had yet been lost, for the horses and 

 cattle had required some rest ; and the depot was still de- 

 sirable as a place of defence, while I proceeded down with 

 the horses. We had, however, acquired such a knowledge 

 of the bed, banks, and turnings of the river at this part, as 

 could not have been otherwise obtained. The water beinsr 

 beautifully transparent, the bottom was visible at great 

 depths, showing large fishes in shoals, floating like birds in 

 mid-air. What I have termed rocks, are only patches of fer- 

 ruginous clay which fill the lowest part of the basin of this 

 river. The bed is composed either of that clay, or of a fer- 

 ruginous sandstone — exactly similar to that on the coast near 

 Sydney — and which i-esembles what was formerly called the 

 iron-sand of England, where it occurs, as before stated, both 

 as a fresh and saltwater formation. At the narrows the 

 quantity of running water was very inconsiderable, but, 

 perhaps, as much as might have turned a mill. It made 

 some noise among the stones, however, although at the very 



