mangrove creeks of no importance, in the north-west corner of the bay
fronting the ship, we returned.

Our hopes of finding a river of some magnitude were not in the least
destroyed from what we had seen from Fossil Head, and the southerly
direction of the flood-stream fostered our belief. Independent of these
signs, we felt that we were again entering upon a new part of the
continent, and the thoughts thus engendered acted like a powerful
stimulant, so that we were not easily cast down.

The tide serving badly, and the day being far advanced, it was decided
that we should not move the ship till next morning, when after getting
abreast of Fossil Head, we steered from it on the bearing of the
deep-water channel we had seen yesterday. We proceeded cautiously,
feeling our way with the boats ahead. After passing some distance along
the eastern side of a long dry sandbank, we were obliged again to anchor,
both boats signalizing a depth of only two fathoms.

FIND A CHANNEL FOR THE SHIP.

Table Hill bore North 46 degrees East, fifteen miles, and Fossil Head
North 15 degrees West. It was now necessary to find a channel for the
ship, which I succeeded in doing the next day, and on that following, the
12th, Captain Wickham, Mr. Bynoe, and myself, went to visit the high
table range, while Messrs. Fitzmaurice and Keys were to examine the large
inlet running in towards the foot of Table Hill.

By following a creek we almost reached the foot of the high level range
in the boat; a line of cliffs stretched along near the summit, beneath
which it sloped down rapidly to the plain. We ascended by a slight