130 Kennedy's expedition. 



I think^ is principally supplied from the swamps. 

 These swamps lie at the foot of a high mountain 

 rang'e, and probably the rivulets descending- from 

 the range spread over the flat ground, and form 

 channels by which they reach the sea. Fresh water 

 can be obtained on either side the river very near 

 the sea. I tasted fresh water on one side, salt in the 

 middle, and slightly brackish on the other side, as 

 we crossed over it. Small boats only can enter this 

 river, on account of the sand-bank at the mouth. 

 Its course turned to the south-west about two miles 

 up. Its banks were sandy and baiTen, at least 

 close to the water ; on the north side of the river 

 there is a mangrove swamp, extending some distance 

 up the stream ; on the south side the banks are 

 higher, and are covered with Casuarinas and Acacias, 

 the soil being sandy and pretty well covered with 

 grass, and the land sHghtly undulating-, for about one 

 and a-half or two miles up the river. It being too 

 late to think of crossing- the river to-night, we 

 hobbled our horses, and having pitched Mr. 

 Kennedy's tent, slept on the sand till morning. 



June 7th. — As soon as we had breakfasted this 

 morning-, we prepared to cross, to assist us in which 

 undertaking- we contrived to construct a sort of punt 

 by taking the wheels and axletrees off one of the 

 carts. We then placed the body of the cart on a 

 large tarpaulin, the shafts passing throug-h holes 

 cut for them, and the tarpaulin tightly nailed round 

 them. The tarpaulin was then turned up aU round, 



