[* See the Vignette in the Title Page.]
We gave her all the fish we had remaining, and having put a quantity of fire-wood and water within her reach, we took our leave. We embarked in the boats, and sailed across the bay to the north branch, which has a very shoally and narrow entrance. We proceeded but a small distance up, before we landed on the west shore and refreshed ourselves; after which we rowed round the first opening on the east side; this we followed up until we came to its head. It is very shallow and narrow, and ended in a large bason, full of shoals, and surrounded with mangroves; it extended near four miles to the north and eastward.
When we returned from this branch, we pitched our tents on the west shore for the night, and early the next morning we proceeded to the northward: in this route we fell in with many shoals of considerable extent; and after rowing about six or seven miles up, we arrived at the head of it, which divides into two large bays, in one of which I observed the latitude to be 33° 26' 30" south. We returned from hence to a point near the entrance of this north harbour, where we encamped and spent the night; in this harbour we did not see more than twenty natives, some few of whom came and conversed with us.
Across the mouth of this north harbour there is a bar or spit of sand, which extends from the sandy beach, or west point of the entrance, almost over to the eastern shore, and on which, from the wind having been from the southward the preceding night, the sea broke prodigiously from side to side, so that near low water it was impossible for the boats to get out; we were on that account obliged to remain there until it was more than two-thirds flood, when, in the deepest part of the channel, where the sea did not break, we pushed out, and pulled over for the south-west arm, or harbour, up which we went; but as part of this branch had not been looked into last winter, we entered an arm on the north side of it, and proceeded up about a mile and a half to an island we had visited the last winter.
Here we encamped for the night, and hauled the seine with great success; and from the vast quantity of excellent mullet and other fish caught here, it got the name of Mullet Island. Next morning we rowed into a branch, which the boats had been in the last time we were here, but had not thoroughly examined; we proceeded to the top, and found it very shoally, extending to the northward about four miles, and navigable only for boats, having but four, five, and six feet water in it. After having satisfied ourselves as to the extent of this arm, we returned to Mullet Island, where we caught fish and dined.
In the afternoon, the governor and myself went in one of the boats, leaving the rest of the party with the tents on Mullet Island; we entered another branch which had also been seen last winter, but was not examined; we rowed up this about seven or eight miles, until it became so very narrow and shoally, having scarcely water enough to float the boat, or room to use the oars, that we thought it was not worth prosecuting any farther discovery at the risk of grounding the boat, and being left during the night; we therefore returned to Mullet Island, and spent another night upon it. This branch is all shoal water, only five and six feet.
The next morning we struck our tents and proceeded, in the boats, to examine a point of high land, which, from our situation in the boat the day before, had the appearance of an island; of this we were determined to be satisfied, and we found it to be an island as we had conjectured. In examining this, we were led into a branch which had not before been discovered: we proceeded up this for a considerable distance, found good depth of water, and every other appearance of its being the opening of an extensive river: we continued to row up in it the whole of this day, and in the evening we went on shore, on the most commodious spot we could find, which was a low marshy point. Here we raised our tents, and spent the night.
At day-light in the morning it was so foggy, that we were obliged to defer our departure from this situation until ten o'clock, when the influence of the sun dispelled the mist, and we continued our course upwards, still finding good depth of water and strong tides; both which we considered as indications of a considerable river. The whole of this day was employed in exploring and making what progress we could; the ebb tides we observed thus far up were considerably stronger than the floods, and the water had very little the taste of sea water; indeed, it scarcely could be called brackish. We continued going up until the evening, when it was found impossible, at this time, to make any farther discovery; our provisions being nearly expended: we filled our water-casks, where we gave up the pursuit, and there, although the tide was high, the water was perfectly fresh.
The general depth of this river was from three to seven fathoms, and its breadth was from 100 to 300 fathoms. There are some shoals, but they generally extend from low mangrove or marshy points. Its general direction, as far as we were up, is to the north-west. We were, when farthest up, about twenty miles from the entrance of the south-west arm of Broken-Bay. The banks of the river, on the lowest part, had many mangrove trees along it; higher up, reeds grew along its margin, and behind these reedy banks were immense perpendicular hills of barren, rocky lands, with trees growing from between the rocky cliffs; the depth of the river, when we were highest up, was six and seven fathoms.
We were so anxious to prosecute this discovery, that we did not think of returning until it was near dark; and in our present situation, there was not a spot on which we could erect a tent, so very steep were the shores, except where they were marshy. We pushed down as fast as possible, in order to find a landing-place, before it should be very late; and soon after dark, we put a-shore on a parcel of rocks, which was, indeed, the only spot near on which we could find room for our tents, and here we passed the night.