170 SURVEY OF THE XNTERTROPICAL 
1819. having made any progress, we were obliged to de- 
May 12 . dine their invitation ; and as soon as the boat was 
reloaded, we took leave of these friendly Indians, 
whose voices we heard until a turn of the river 
hid their persons from our view. About two 
miles higher, at King’s River *, Lieutenant Oxley 
landed and recognised his former tracks, which 
were now much overgrown and nearly effaced; 
the marks of the axe were, however, sufficiently 
evident for us to follow them for half a mile along 
the banks of the river, when we re-imbarked, and 
continued our course upwards. 
The river now became much narrower, not 
being more than seventy or eighty yards wide ; 
four miles higher up we landed, and joined 
Mr. Cunningham, who was botanizing in the 
Lady Nelson’s boat : this gentleman had over- 
taken us about an hour before, and passed on 
to look for a convenient place to encamp for the 
night; but for want of a better situation, was 
obliged to land in a brush, the banks of which 
were so thickly lined with trees and climbing 
plants, that we should have passed it if the sta- 
tion had not been indicated to us by his boat 
made fast to the landing place. 
Some rain fell during the night, but this incon- 
venience was trifling compared to the discordant 
* See the View, p. 168. 
