264 Kennedy's expedition. 



At daj'light made preparations for starting', I 

 took the five-oared whaleboat^ and the second officer, 

 accompanied by Captain EUiott, went in the small 

 boat, both well armed and manned. At half-past 

 six A.M. we left and ran before a strong hreeze from 

 the S.E., and stood in for the entrance of Escape 

 River. At half-past seven hauled in round the 

 south head (Point Shadwell) : in crossing- the bar, 

 least water three fathoms, the tide being about first 

 quarter spring flood. 



After entering the river perceived a bay, with 

 small sandy beaches, one of which Jackey pointed 

 out as the place where Mr. Kennedy first met the 

 hostile natives ; from this place we observed some 

 of them launching a canoe for the purpose of 

 speaking us, but as we could not afford to lose 

 either the time or the tide I deferred communicating 

 with them until our return. After steering west 

 about five or six miles, the river began gradually 

 to wind to the northward, and afterwards S.S.E. ; 

 the river six or seven miles from the entrance was 

 upwards of a mile in width ; both banks were 

 covered by a dense impenetrable mangrove swamp ; 

 after the river trended to the southward we had to 

 lower our sail and pull ; after pulling some four or 

 five miles the river became gradually narrower. I 

 observed several branches of it trending to the 

 northward and westward ; we remained on the 

 southernmost branch, the principal one ; as we 

 proceeded on the left hand side of the river we came 



