Page:Australia, from Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay.djvu/125

 investigated by Mr. Allan Cunningham, that it is needless for me to make any remarks on these subjects. The Brisbane river was discovered by Mr. Oxley, the late Surveyor-General of New South Wales, who, in his official despatch, makes the following observations respecting it.

"I sailed from this port, (Sydney) in His Majesty's cutter Mermaid, on the 23rd of October, 1823, and early on the 2nd day of December following, when examining Moreton bay, we had the satisfaction to find the tide sweeping up a considerable inlet, between the first mangrove island and the main land. The muddiness and taste of the water, together with the abundance of fresh-water molluscæ, assured us we were entering a large river, and a few hours ended our anxiety on this point by the water becoming perfectly fresh, while no diminution had taken place in the size of the river after passing, what I called Sea-Reach. Our progress up the river was necessarily retarded by the necessity we were under of making a running survey during our passage. At sunset we had proceeded about twenty miles up the river. The scenery was peculiarly beautiful; the country along the banks alternately hilly and level, but not flooded; the soil of the finest description of brushwood land, on which grew timber of great magnitude, and of various species, some of which were quite unknown to us. Among others, a magnificent species of pine was in great abundance. The timber on the hills was also good;