42 COUNTRY BEHIND SHOAL BAYS. 



intermediate country a rich grassy woodland, the 

 trees large and wide apart, and the grass so long 

 and thick as considerably to impede our progress. 

 In a hollow, just at the back of a mass of jungle, 

 lying at the head of a small sandy cove, with a reef 

 of rocks at each point of it, we found several deep 

 holes and small pools of excellent fresh water ; and 

 immediately after, came on a round bare grassy hill, 

 just over the south point of the little bay. From 

 this hill the bay appeared about two miles wide, 

 stretching four or five miles into the country, with 

 several coves and rocky headlands on each side, but 

 large beds of mangroves round its upper portion. 

 The country around, with the exception of the man- 

 grove swamps, was very beautiful ; low green hills, 

 rising in every direction, with grassy slopes and fine 

 timber. At the back of this fresh and fertile look- 

 ing country, and distant about ten miles, continued 

 the bold ridge of hills running parallel with the 

 coast, and probably 2 or 5,000 feet in height. 

 While we were looking at the view, the gig came 

 round, and landed in a cove below us, and we 

 hastened down to it. At the foot of the hill we 

 crossed a small marsh, now dry, in which grew a 

 very tall reed-like grass, large spaces of which had 

 recently been pulled up by the roots, bare clods and 

 the loose grass lying about in heaps, The root of 

 this grass is probably eaten by the natives, and it 

 was the only sign we saw of their presence, except 

 some large smokes rising a few miles farther to the 



