Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/366

 lS19. peared to possess a sinr character w/th at se. we had just been employed in exploring. On the P6th we g under weigh to return; but, having to work aga/nst a.contrary breeze, made. no farther progress than the anchorage oc- cupied. on,the. d.. The smokes of many fires were seen during the day; but in this country, where every .thing is so parched and dry, a fire will lie dormant a considerable time, and, as the breeze springs up, the flames will kindle and run along in the direction of the wind for many miles. . The next day, at half-past twelve o'clock, when the ebb tide began to make, the wind freshened uF from S.E., and soon carried us into the narrows: it then veered round to the eastward, and after half an hour's calm, a strong sea-breeze set in, against us; but the tide being in our fayour, we made quick progress, until half an hour before the time of low water, when we anchored under the north-west end of Adolphus Island. I have this day to record the death of one of the'crew, William Nicholls, who, for some time past, and particularly during the last three days, had been suffering from a dropsical complaint; his death was cocasioned by suffocation, having very imprudently laid down with his head to' leeward while we were under sail:' this poor

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