Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/165

 eoAffrs oP AUSTItALA. 107 the nature of the Alligator l{ivers there is no lB1& doubt but that there are others of a similar clm- May raeter that empty themselves into the. Gulf tween the easternmost Aliigator. River and Sir George Hope's Islands. although they are, pro- bably, of smaller size and of less importance. At midnight the cutter, drilled by the tide, passed close to the easternmost point of Melville Island near to which two bright fires were burn- Lug. The next morning, at eight o'clock, we, were within two miles of Cape Fleeming, the: nerth-easternmost extremity of the island; and, bearing up along the north coast of Melville Island, passed close to Point Jahleel. On a sandy beach to the westward of the last point two natives were walking, but they passed on without noticing our presence. Eight miles to the S.W. of Point Jahleel is Brenton Bay, which we had nearly passed before it was observed: the vessel was brought to the wind, but it was the next morning before we succeeded in fetching 14. into the opening. tt terminates in an inlet which, probably, runs some little distance into the interior of the island. It is about five miles deep, but the depth is so trifling, that we were prevented from mnuing' into it far enough to obtain shelter from the wind. In the evening we anchored in a picturesque bay which, although

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