NARRATIVE OF MR. CARRON. 141 



not so deep. Several natives^ who had not yet 

 seen our horses^ assembled on the banks of the river 

 to see them cross, and when they came out of the 

 water commenced shouting' to frighten them, con- 

 tinuing' their noise for about twenty minutes. 

 Seeing at length, hoA\-ever, that the beasts submitted 

 to be led quietly along- the beach, they came near 

 the camp, and we made them a present of a few 

 fish-hooks. They returned to their camp before 

 sunset. 



The river we crossed this day was not so deep as 

 either of the former ones. There is, apparently, a 

 sandbank across all the rivers emptying themselves 

 into Rockingham Bay, near the mouth, and this 

 one formed no exception to the rule. The tide runs 

 up very strongly — I should think for a mile and 

 a-half or two miles. 



There is a mangrove swamp running up some 

 distance on the northern side of the river, till it joins 

 the fresh water swamps. There is not so much fresh 

 water running out of this river as from the last, and 

 fresh water is only procurable from its south side 

 near the swamp — it being impossible to penetrate 

 the scrub on the northern side to obtain it. At low 

 water the river is very shallow, with a muddy 

 bottom. 



Jimc l^th. — On our mustering this morning, 

 Carpenter was missed from the camp. It was dis- 

 covered that he had absconded during the night, 

 carr3dng off with him a damper weighing about 



