404 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
] 820. only time to fill our barica and kettle before the 
Sept 7 i 2 . salt water flowed over and mixed with it. 
During our detention here we ascended the 
hills over the landing-place to examine the 
country ; but on reaching the top, after a rugged 
and difficult walk, higher hills obstructed our view 
in every direction. The bed of the river ap- 
peared to continue for some distance through a 
deep gully, formed by precipitous hills. In the 
wet season this is doubtless a very considerable 
stream; and then, perhaps, the water is fresh 
as low as the upper part of the first reach. At 
this time the holes in the rocks were filled with 
fresh water, but the tide flowed up as far as 
it was navigable for our boat, i he trees on the 
tops and sides of the hills had lately been burned . 
in the shady parts, however, near the water, the 
shore was lined with several plants which had 
escaped destruction; among them was a species 
of nutmeg, ( myristica insipida , Brown,) a tree of 
twenty-five feet high, ( maba lamina , , Brown,) and 
on the top of the hills and shelving places half 
way down, were observed several coniferous 
trees that resembled the callitris ventenat, or 
Australian cypress, which grows in the interior 
of the colony at Port Jackson they were at 
this season in fruit. 
A steep peaked hill near our landing-place 
