CHAPTER III. 



CAPE UPSTART — GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE — PUMICE PEBBLES 

 — EXCURSION TO CAPE C LEVEL AN D — INTERVIEW WITH 

 NATIVES — GRANITE DYKE — EXCURSION ACROSS UPSTART 

 BAY — ASCEND MANGROVE I N LET — INTERVIEW WITH NA- 

 TIVES — FRIENDLY DEMEANOUR — EXCURSION UP WICKH AM 

 RIVER— INTERVIEW WITH NATIVES — TWO TRIBES — UPROAR 



AT MEETING FRIENDLY WALK — GENTLE MANNERS — 



RETURN DOWN RIVER— CHARACTER OF NEIGHBOURING 

 COUNTRY — RETURN TO SHIP LEAVE CAPE UPSTART. 



March 30, 1843. — Anchored this evening on the ' 

 lee or north-west side of Cape Upstart, alongside the 

 Bramble. Cape Upstart consists of a great mass of 

 granite, about 2,000 feet high, rising abruptly from 

 the water on all sides, and connected to the main- 

 land by a mangrove swamp only. It is singularly 

 rugged and barren in its aspect; its sides covered 

 by huge blocks of loose rock, scantily bidden by a 

 scrubby vegetation. A narrow rocky valley, with a 

 small watercourse, runs down from the centre to the 

 north-west side of the promontory, having good 

 fresh water constantly in its deeper holes, and fre- 

 quently running in a considerable stream. Near 

 this is a small plain, about half a mile across, with 

 a sand beach and small mangrove swamp ; and near 

 the north-west point of the Cape is another little 



