350 ASPECT OF SETTLEMENT. 



cliffs, about twenty or thirty feet high, generally of 

 a red or white colour. Between the headlands were 

 shallow coves backed by mangrove swamps, and the 

 level country round seemed completely covered by 

 a low but dark looking wood of small gum-trees. 

 After floating up this inlet for about sixteen or 

 seventeen miles, we anchored a mile from the settle- 

 ment ; shoal muddy bays running still several miles 

 farther to the south, backed by mangroves and gum 

 forest. The aspect of the place was anything but 

 cheerful or inviting even to us, who had been so 

 long at sea. On a piece of land, about forty or fifty 

 feet above the sea, on the west side of the harbour, 

 the trees seemed partially cleared away, and we 

 could see through those that remained a few white 

 buildings, while a small square wooden blockhouse 

 with a flag-staff stood on a projecting cliff. A little 

 a-head of us lay the Royalist brig of war refitting, 

 which gave some animation to the scene, and off a 

 small half ruinous wooden pier were one or two 

 boats at anchor, with an old looking shed on the 

 beach. We remained here six days at this visit, 

 and stopped for about an equal length of time on 

 three subsequent occasions, during which, I believe, 

 we saw all that was to be seen of the place. 



The party, in 184 3, consisted of Captain M 'Arthur, 

 Lieut. Timson, Dr. Whipple assistant-surgeon, 

 Mr. J. M 'Arthur acting storekeeper, and thirty- 

 seven men. The number of men was originally 

 greater, but several had died, and all had been 



