After leaving this forest, we came upon the river I
had gone up a few days before. Intending to come down on the opposite
side and hail the vessel, I crossed on the banks of the river, a large
marsh, one mile and a half broad by three or four long, of the richest
diluvium; not a tree was to be seen. Having crossed this marsh we passed
through a dense tea-tree scrub, very high, expecting to make the vessel
in the course of an hour or two, but, to our great surprise, when we got
through, we found ourselves on the banks of a much larger river than the
one we had originally gone up.
As it was now near sundown, and at least two days would be required to
head the river, I decided upon allowing two of my Sydney natives to swim
across it, and go to the vessel, distant about seven miles, to fetch the
boat. Bullet and Bungit started on this enterprise, and returned in
about three hours from the time of their departure. Their return with
the boat was most opportune as we had got on the point of junction of
the two rivers, where the tide had set in, and was already up to my
ankles.
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