Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/332

 270 SURVEY OF ?H] INTP. TROPICAL abundance and the verdure of the trees gave this part a pleasing and picturesque character. At the bottom of the opening was a remarkable flat-topped hill, under which the wavers of the inlet appeared to flow in a south-east direction. The entrance may potsibly form a convenient port, for there was no appearance of shoal water near it. The land, which forms its westemmest head, appeared at first like an island, but was afterwards presumed to be a pmjeeting head, se- parating the opening from a deep bight, which was called Paterson Bay; at the bottom of the bay is another opening, or inlet, that may have some communication with the first. The western side of Paterson Bay is formed by very low land, off which many patches *of dry rocks were seen to extend; beyond this, the'coast appeared to be low and sandy. Light and adverse winds, and calms, with a constant easterly current, detained us in the vicinity of Paterson Bay until the fol- lowing sunset; when, in order to preserve the little progress made, we anchored near the reefs, on the western side of' the' bay. During the preceding day, sixteen or twenty natives were noticed upon the sandy beach that fronts the red cliffs, on the eastern Side of the bay, engaged in fhing, or perhaps in watching our movements; and this evening the smokes of their fires were

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