SEABCH FOR A WATERING PLACE. 199 



master, who was sent to examine and report upon 

 a watering- place said to have been found a day or 

 two ago on South-east Island, about four miles north 

 from the ship. We found the coast thereabouts 

 fringed with mangroves, a gap in which, margined 

 by forest trees, indicated the place which we were in 

 search of. The ebb tide was scarcely beginning to 

 make, yet a narrow band of shingle off the entrance 

 of the creek had barely water enough upon it to 

 allow the boat to cross. Beyond the bar we got 

 into deep water, and after pulling up for 300 yards 

 found it only brackish. Our further progress, how- 

 ever, was impeded by the narrowing of the creek, 

 which besides was blocked up with dead trees and 

 some rocks in its bed a few yards ahead of us. 

 The fresh water being thus unattainable without 

 much trouble, and the bar at the entrance adding 

 to the difficulty of watering the ship there, we turned 

 back to search elsewhere. While standing along 

 shore to the eastward, opposite an opening in the 

 low hills behind the coast we observed another 

 breach in the mangroves backed by trees of a 

 different description, and thought it worthy of 

 examination. Tacking inshore we found a small 

 bight, with shoal water, on a bank of mud extend- 

 ing right across, beyond which the entrance of a 

 creek fringed with mangroves was discovered. Our 

 hopes were still further raised, when, descending 

 about 200 yards, with a depth of two and three 

 fathoms, the surface water was found to be quite 



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