Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/504

  SURVEY. OF TIlE INTERTROPICAL 8o. clips, he saw four small kantroos; and neartbe Oct. water*holes one of the crew saw a fifth, of a 11--l. ray colour, and of a larger size than usual. Our people were now all laid up with sores upon their feet and legs, from cuts and bruises eceived.in scrambling over the .rocks; and se- veral were affected by ophthalmia. Besides this, the rainy season was approaching; it commenced last year about the-18th of October, and as the weather was now close and sultry, and daily. getting more unfavourable, the change was evi- dently at hand. We therefore determined upon quitting the coast as soon as possible; and as there was nothing to detain'us here any longer, a we ,weighed the following aiternoon. as soon as the tide commenced to ebb. Our distance from the mouth was .sixteen miles, and the breeze blew directly Against us, but, as 'the tide was running 'out with great 'st]ength, we succeeded'in reaching an anchorage in Brunswick Bay before dark; not, however; without incurring considerable danger in passing through strong tide ripplings when abreast of Rothsay Water; which caused me to suspect that it communicated with Prince Frederic's Harbour.' In beating out of the river the cutter leaked a good deal, which shewed that our late repair at Careening Bay had not placed us without

�