90 
ridge as it was possible to go on foot, and, in order to penetrate 
further inland, an expedition by small boat was made several 
miles up Lisbon Creek, where collections were made on some of 
the larger islands formed by the forking and intertwining of the 
creek branches. Having devoted as much time as was advisable 
to this section, we moved to the most southern base selected for 
exploration, namely Deep Creek. Having crossed the margin 
of the reef here, we found that we must anchor several miles from 
shore on account of the shallowness of the water on the reef. 
Consequently, we decided to stock a small boat with supplies 
and equipment and make camp inland several miles from the 
mouth of the creek. After establishing our camp on the deck 
of a wrecked sailboat that had been blown ashore during a recent 
hurricane, we proceeded to the headwaters of Deep Creek. Hav- 
ing finished collecting in the Deep Creek region, we returned to 
our schooner and started northward, making our way inside the 
reef, carefully avoiding shoals and submerged rocks, and came 
to an anchorage off Smith Hill, which is about four miles north 
of the mouth of Deep Creek. This was the first of a series of 
points selected as being the most advantageous bases from which 
to gain access to the interior. 
Our collecting here and at subsequent stations was on lines 
approximately west from the shore to the water-shed of the island. 
Leaving Smith Hill, we sailed further north inside the reef for a 
distance of about six miles to the Crow Hill region and invaded 
that section by way of two little used trails that enter the back 
country several miles apart from each other. We had now worked 
up to near our first base on Mangrove Cay, consequently we 
started for Fresh Creek, attempting to sail inside the reef to 
Golding Cay. We were successful as far north as the channe| 
that leads out to the ocean near Golding Cay; but there the 
combination of unfavorable winds and the narrowness of the 
channel defeated our attempt to pass out, and we were compelled 
to return to our anchorage opposite the Crow Hill region, and 
sail out to the ocean at that point at day-break the following 
morning. 
At first, conditions appeared favorable for making rapid prog- 
