August 2.

Daylight now burst upon us with tropical rapidity. The banks had assumed
a very different appearance; the monotonous mangroves had given place to
gumtrees and acacias, which drooped over the stream, partly concealing a
rich growth of large flags. This change in the character of the foliage
was not only in itself a relief, but evinced that we had at length, in
some sort, escaped the influence of the sea, and that we were in reality
penetrating towards the interior of the continent.

Our course was now North-West 1/2 West for a mile and a half, with an
increase in the width, and a depth of nine feet. Here we found the river
suddenly turn round to the southward and eastward, bringing us back
within five hundred yards of where we started from, which was one mile
West by South 1/2 South from the morning's observation spot. Brown
whistling wood-ducks now made their appearance, and being unaccustomed to
man and his destructive weapons, allowed us to revel in wildfowl for some
days afterwards.

PROCEED UP THE ALBERT.

The morning sun was hailed with delight, as sitting cramped up in a boat,
with the unusually low temperature of 53 degrees made us very chilly, and
brought flushing jackets and trousers into great request, whilst in
midday the light clothing natural to the latitude was sufficient. We
found the tides rise here four feet, and both flood and ebb ran from one
to two knots. After following a reach, trending South-East 1/2 East a
mile, with a string of islets in the upper part, our westerly progress
became more rapid and direct, and with the exception of one bend to the
northward we made three miles in a West-South-West direction.