COASTS OF AUSTRALIA, 
277 
quality than had been suspected, and the an- 
chorage was retained during our stay. 
As the bottom of this port had a river-like ap- 
pearance, Mr. Roe prepared to examine it, and 
set out at daylight, accompanied by Mr. Cun- 
ningham: they did not return until the following 
day. 
From his report it appears, that the shores are 
overrun with mangrove^ (rhhophorece,) and that 
the whole of the back lards are inundated at high 
water, which accounts for the very strong tides 
we experienced. The bottom of the port, which 
at Mr. Roe’s desire was named in compliment to 
Vice Admiral Sir Richard G. Keats, G. C.R., is 
divided into two salt water arms, extending to- 
wards the foot of a range of thickly-wooded hills, 
which were seen from the anchorage, over the 
low mangrove shore, and which, from their de- 
scription, are probably connected with the Bar- 
thelemy Hills. Their summit was named Mount 
Goodwin. 
Our party put ashore at the only accessible 
landing place they found, and walked a mile 
inland. The country was extremely low and 
steril, and the soil composed of a tenacious clay, 
in which small iron-stone gravel is thickly mixed; 
it appeared to be of the same nature as the bot- 
tom on which we ‘were anchored ; and to have 
1819 . 
Sept. 
6 — 7 . 
