170 
BEECH OE ENCOUNTER BAY. 
sand-hill visible, near which the channel seemed to turn 
again to the south ; and I doubted not that it terminated 
there. It was to no purpose, however, that we tried to 
gain it. Shoals again closed in upon us on every side. We 
dragged the boat over several, and at last got amongst 
quicksands. I, therefore, directed our efforts to hauling 
the boat over to the south side of the channel, as that on 
which we could most satisfactorily ascertain our position. 
After great labour we succeeded, and, as evening had 
closed in, lost no time in pitching the tents. 
While the men were thus employed, I took Fraser with 
me, and, accompanied by M'Leay, crossed the sand-hum- 
mocks behind us, and descended to the sea-shore. I found 
that we had struck the south coast deep in the bight of 
Encounter Bay. We had no time for examination, but re- 
turned immediately to the camp, as I intended to give the 
men an opportunity to go to the beach. They accordingly 
went and bathed, and returned not only highly delighted, 
at this little act of good nature on my part, but loaded with 
cockles, a bed of which they had managed to find among 
the sand. Clayton had tied one end of his shirt up, and 
Drought a bag full, and amused himself with boiling cockles 
all night long. 
If I had previously any hopes of being enabled ultimately 
to push the boat over the flats that were before us, a view 
of the channel at low water, convinced me of the imprac- 
ticability of any further attempt. The water was so low 
that every shoal was exposed, and many stretched directly 
