436 SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1820 . river on either side, but they were all salt-water 
Oct. creeks. 
n ~" 12. The rocks on the hills are formed of a close- 
grained siliceous sand-stone ; and the ground is 
covered with loose masses of the same rock, with 
spinifex growing between them ; this plant is of 
itself sufficient to indicate the poverty of the soil. 
As we passed a small round islet, an alligator, 
which had been basking in the sun, alarmed at 
our approach, rushed into the water, and, as we 
came near the spot, rose to reconnoitre us, but 
instantly sunk again. 
The sea-breeze, being unimpeded by the in- 
tervention of land, blew so strong, that, when 
the flood ceased, we were enabled to proceed 
for some time against the ebb-tide. It also pre- 
vented our suffering from the heat, which would 
otherwise have been very oppressive, for the 
thermometer stood all day at 96° and 98 . 
At the distance of about seventeen miles from 
the basin, we were surprised by hearing the 
noise of a fall of water ; but distrusting our ears, 
we were not convinced of the fact, until an open- 
ing in the mangroves exposed to our view a 
cascade of water of one hundred and sixty feet in 
breadth, falling from a considerable height. As 
the breeze still enabled us to make way against 
