PICTURESQUE ESTUARY.

After travelling another mile we found ourselves at the head of a large
and picturesque estuary which lay north and south; the native path ran
along its shores, which were of great richness and beauty, and the
estuary itself lay to our west and was about two miles across; on the
east a series of rich undercliff limestone hills gradually rose into
lofty and precipitate ranges, between which and the estuary was the
fertile valley along which we wound our weary way; while groups of
graceful acacias with their airy and delicate foliage gave a great charm
to this beautiful spot. We moved slowly along, and ere we had made two
miles more the shades of night began to fall and I halted the party.

RICH AND FERTILE DISTRICT.

The abundance of grass which grew around enabled us to enjoy the almost
unknown luxury of a soft bed, yet as I lay down my thoughts were far from
pleasant when I found that we had only walked twelve miles today, and
this distance had been accomplished by several of the party with the
greatest difficulty. Three of them were the men who carried those heavy
loads which I could not yet induce them to abandon; now I could not but
reflect that, if their difficulty was so great in walking in a country
abounding with water, that it would be almost impossible for them to get
along in one where it was scarce; moreover the mere physical exertion of
getting unwilling men to move by persuasions and entreaties was harassing
in the extreme, and indeed had so agitated me that the night had nearly
worn away ere I closed my eyes. The rich flats we were on today have
apparently at no distant period formed part of the head of the estuary.