298 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPIC AL 
1819. of the gulf appeared to be of a rugged and moun- 
Sept. 22 . tainous character: the hills were observed, in 
detached ranges, to rise abruptly from a low 
level plain extending to the shore, the edge of 
which was lined as far as we could see by a 
belt of mangrove bushes. These plains were 
covered with salt incrustations, over which were 
scattered the stems and branches of trees, that 
had evidently been washed down from the hills, 
and deposited there by inundations, to which 
this country appears to be frequently subject. 
The trees appeared to be of so much larger 
size than any we have seen growing near the 
coast, that we reasonably concluded the interior 
to be of a much more productive character than 
the country in the vicinity of the sea. Our 
means were, however, too confined to satisfy 
ourselves of this interesting fact. 
23# The following morning, the weather being 
more favourable, we left the bay, and, with the 
remainder of the flood tide, beat through the 
narrows ; in which, at one cast, we had no bottom 
at forty-five fathoms. As soon as we passed this 
strait we entered the basin, and a little before 
high water anchored in eight fathoms on its west 
side, where at noon, by a meridional observation 
to the south, th6 latitude was found to be 15° 21' 
53 " S. After this we landed in the vicinity of 
