NARRATIVE OF MR. CARRON. 203 



was brackish. We attempted to go through some 

 mangroves to the beach^ but did not succeed. 



Oct. \StTi. — Jackey, Taylor, and myself took 

 three horses, and tried to get to the beach more to 

 the northward than yesterday. We passed through 

 a belt of mangroves, where the ground was pretty 

 firm, the tide coming up only occasionally ; we then 

 proceeded along a sandy ridge to the northward, 

 when we found it succeeded by a salt water lagoon, 

 surrounded by salsolaceous plants and mangroves, 

 which it was impossible to get through. We 

 returned to our camp, and here Mr. Kennedy aban- 

 doned the thought of going to the beach, as he felt 

 sure H.M.S. Bramble (which was to have met us at 

 the beginning- of August) would have gone; our 

 journey having occupied so much longer time than 

 we could have possibly anticipated. This considera- 

 tion, combined with the great difficulty which seemed 

 likely to ensue in obtaining water and feed for our 

 horses, determined him to take a different direction. 



Oct. 15th. — We had prayers as usual this day, 

 being Sunday, at 11 o'clock; to-day we finished 

 the consumption of all our sugar, except a very 

 small quantity, which was reserved for any particu- 

 lar case of sickness. 



Oct. 16th. — This morning a horse fell into a rocky 

 water-hole, and finding it impossible to get him out 

 alive, we killed him, and cured the flesh as before, 

 drying it in the sun on a stage ; the blood, heart, 

 and liver furnished us with a good day's food. Our 



