Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/466

 SURVEY 'OF' THE-IN':rERTROPICAL only time. to fill our barica:and kettle before:the- salt water flowed over. and mixed with. it. During our detention here we ascended. the hills over the. landing-place to examine the' country; but on reaching the top, after a rugged and difficult walk, higher hills obstructed our view, in' every direction. The bed of the river ap- peared to continue for some distance through . deep gully, formed by precipitous hills. In the wet season this is doubtless a very considerable stream; and then, perhaps,. the water is fresh as low as the'upper part of the first reach. At this time the holes in the rocks were filled with fresh water, but the tide flowed up as far as it was navigable for our boat. The tres on the tops and sides of the hills had lately been burned: in the shady pans, however,, near the water, the shore' was lined with several plants. which had escaped destruction; among them was a species of nutmeg, (royfist/ca in/p/da, Brow,) a tree of twenty-five feet high, (maba laurina, Brown,) and on. the top of the hills and shelving places half way down, were observed several. coniferous trees. that resembled the. cllitris wntznat, or Australian cypress, which grows in the interior of the colony at Port Jackson :--they were at this. season in fruit. A steep peaked hill. near our landing-place

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