288 CHARACTER OF THE CLIMATE. 



boards of about four miles in length, and every 

 where finding a perfectly level bottom of about two 

 fathoms depth for about eight miles from the mouth 

 of the inlet. The depth then gradually increased 

 to three fathoms and a half at dead low water, when 

 the flood-tide setting against us, we anchored at three 

 in the afternoon. We were now in sight of the ship, 

 about eight miles to windward. The weather was 

 clear and fine, though a bank of dark clouds still 

 hovered over the land. 



At nine at night we weighed again, with the ebb 

 tide, and anchored near the ship at two in the 

 morning. 



June 2. — We had but just come out in time. 

 There was now a strong breeze blowing from the 

 S.E., with a very heavy sea rolling in upon us, that 

 made it a matter of some difficulty to get on board 

 the ship. The mud-flats to leeward must now have 

 been covered with breaking water and rollers, that 

 would have compelled us to remain in the rivers 

 till the breeze subsided and the sea went down ; 

 and it blew hard for the next ten days after this. 



They had had cloudy weather with light winds 

 on board the ship during our absence, but not a 

 drop of rain ; while we had been in a perpetual 

 torrent in the rivers and among the woods, not 

 more than thirty miles distant from them. This 

 fact, with others, makes me believe that the climate 

 of New Guinea, or the north side of Torres Strait, 

 is totally different from that of Australia on the 

 south ; that New Guinea has not only a much 



