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CHANNEL TO THE SEA. 
which I doubted not terminated in Cape Jervis. The na- 
tives kept aloof during the night, nor did the dogs by a sin- 
gle growl intimate that any had ventured to approach us. 
The sound of the surf came gratefully to our ears, for it told 
us we were near the goal for which we had so anxiously 
pushed, and we all of us promised ourselves a view of the 
boundless ocean on the morrow. 
As the morning dawned, we saw that the natives had 
thrown an out-post of sixteen men across the channel, who 
were watching our motions ; but none shewed themselves 
on the hills behind us, or on any part of the south shore. 
We embarked as soon as we had breakfasted. A fresh 
breeze was blowing from the N. E. which took us rapidly 
down the channel, and our prospects appeared to be as 
cheering as the day, for just as we were about to push from 
the shore, a seal rose close to the boat, which we all re- 
garded as a favourable omen. We were, however, shortly 
stopped by shoals; it was in vain that we beat across the 
channel from one side to the other; it was a continued shoal, 
and the deepest water appeared to be under the left bank. 
The tide, however, had fallen, and exposed broad flats, over 
which it was hopeless, under existing circumstances, to 
haul the boat. We again landed on the south side of the 
channel, patiently to await the high water. 
M'Leay, myself, and Fraser, ascended the hills, and 
went to the opposite side to ascertain the course of the 
channel, for immediately above us it turned south round 
the hills. We there found that we were on a narrow tongue 
