158 
A VOYAGE TO 
[South Coast, 
1802. Brown bore N. 6V 20' E., and Mount Arden, a peak nearly at the fur- 
WedSs. h "io. thest extremity of the ridge, N. 18 0 40' E. ; and the inlet was seen to run 
in a serpentine form to the northward, between low banks covered 
with mangroves. After taking the bearings, we returned to the boat 
and pursued our course upward along the western shore, having from 
4 to 7 fathoms past the bluff ; but the inlet was there less than two miles 
wide, and a league further on it was contracted to one mile; half of 
which, besides, was occupied by mud flats. These banks were fre- 
quented by ducks and other water fowl ; and some time being occu- 
pied in chasing them, our distance above the ship was not so much as 
five leagues in straight aline, when the setting sun reminded us of look- 
ing out for a place of rest. A landing was effected with some diffi- 
culty amongst the mangroves on the eastern shore; and from a 
small eminence of red earth, I set the ship's mast heads atS. 14 0 E., 
and Mount Brown N. 85 0 E. 
Thursdayii. Next morning we continued the examination upwards, carry- 
ing 4, 3, and 2 fathoms in mid-channel ; but at ten o'clock our oars 
touched the mud on each side, and it was not possible to proceed 
further. I then landed and took observations in an artificial horizon 
for the time keeper, which gave 4' 34" of longitude to the west of 
the ship, or only two seconds more than was deduced from the 
bearings. Mount Brown bore S. 72 0 E., Mount Arden N. 26 0 E., 
and my last station on the eminence of red earth S. 6° E. The inlet 
wholly terminated at one mile and a half to the N. 16 0 W. 
It seemed remarkable, and was very mortifying, to find the 
water at the head of the gulph as salt nearly as at the ship ; never- 
theless it was evident, that much fresh water was thrown into it in 
wet seasons, especially from the eastern mountains. The summits 
of the ridge lie from three to four leagues back from the water side, 
but the greater part of that space seemed to be low, marshy land. 
To the northward no hill was visible, and to the westward but one 
small elevation of flat-topped land ; all else in those directions was 
mangroves and salt swamps, and they seemed to be very extensive. 
