132 Kennedy's expedition. 



The following- day (June 3rd) Mr. Kennedy and 

 his party returned to the camp, with the intellig-ence 

 that it was impossible to proceed in a north or 

 north-westerly direction, in consequence of the 

 swamps. Mr. Kennedy had penetrated them in 

 some places, where the scrub was not too thick, but 

 could not get through them in any place, on account 

 of the water, and the dense scrub. He informed 

 us that he found we should be obliged to cross a 

 river on the beach to the south-west of the camp 

 before we could hope to make any progress. 



The two following- days were occupied with com- 

 pleting our arrangements for starting ; as it was 

 determined on the following morning to strike our 

 tents and proceed at once on our expedition. 



As I may now consider our expedition as fairly 

 begun, it may, for the sake of clearness and ar- 

 rangement, be advisable to continue my narrative 

 in the form of a journal ; detailing from day to day 

 the various occurrences which took place. It must 

 be remembered, however, that in narrating the 

 particulars of our journey, I am obhged to trust 

 largely to memory, and to very imperfect memo- 

 randa ; and to these difficulties must I refer, in 

 excuse for the defects, with which I am well aware 

 this narrative abounds. 



Up to the present time, the whole of the party, 

 and especially its unfortunate leader, had remained 

 in good spirits, and, buoyed up with sanguine hopes 



