Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/473

 COAM*!I OF AUSTRALIA. 411 to-ugh. cOats of mail without hurting or scarcely. frightening them. A small trickling of water was noticed among the rocks, which they found ,to be fresh, but in too small a quantity to be of any use. The boat was six hours and a half pulling down, althoUgh for the first five hours the tide was favourable. The river was named aier the rector of New- bury, the reverend father of my zealous and di- ligent assistant Mr. Roe. It appears to be a very 'considerable stream, and, as Mr. Roe justly observes, in the rainy season, or at any other time of the year than during the mouths of Sep. ternher and October, which terminate the dry season, will doubtless afford a large quantity of fresh water. The opportunity that offered in Hunter's River ot  filling our water. casks was not to be lost; and the day after the boat returned rom the examination of Roe's-River the cutter was moved to an anchorage, about half way up the first or sea reach, of Hunter's River; and the next morning before daylight the boats' wer e despatched; but, owing to the darkness of the. morning, and the ebb-tide .having let the shores dry and almost inaccessible, from the quantity of mud that lined them, they did not reach the sprin until late in the day. In the mean time, how. Digitized by GOOdie

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