hope, by dint of hideous grimaces--such as are only suggested even to a
savage by the last stage of fear--to terrify the white men from
approaching. At length, however, they were all driven back to the raft,
which was then towed across the harbour for them; a measure which they
only were able to approve of when they had landed, and fear had quite
subsided.

Doubtless, the forbearance of our party surprised them, for from their
terrified looks and manner, when swimming with all their strength from
the raft, they must have apprehended a fate at least as terrible as that
of being eaten.

The raft itself was quite a rude affair, being formed of small bundles of
wood lashed together, without any shape or form, quite different from any
we had seen before.

Bynoe Harbour was found to terminate in three deep creeks branching off
between North-East and South-East, the largest of which led into fresh
water, but in small detached pools, which are separated from the salt, by
a shelf of red porous sandstone, and which two miles further became
entirely lost in the rocks. The green appearance of the gumtrees and an
occasional clump of palms, which had pleasingly succeeded the mangroves,
as they advanced, assured Captain Wickham that there was fresh water
near. Probably, if they had carried their researches further, they would
have found these signs reappear again, doubtless proceeding from a swamp,
the presence of which the reader will recollect I inferred from seeing
the ibis flocking from the south-west up the south inlet in Port Darwin;
the west inlet of which is only one mile distant from the north-east
creek in the head of Bynoe Harbour. Doubtless when the country is not in
its present parched and thirsty state, all these are fresh at their