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[Page 19]
Rocky and the Trees slanted owing to the heavy gales of Wind they are Naturally exposed to. From the entrance of the Port to this Point is a low Sandy beach and the Country for some distance is also Sandy about four Miles along the Shore, but from opposite Lagoon Beach as far as Green Island there is good Pasture for near a Quarter of a Mile in some places, and plenty of Water in the Lagoon which is Marked in the Chart. This day we travelled twelve Hours without resting half an Hour, soon after we came to the Boat we joined the Gentlemen we had parted with in the Morning who had reached the summit of the Mountains and observed an Inlet and River nearly the same as this Port from appearance and they supposed about fifteen Miles from where they were, a Sketch of which, with their observations is here with annexed, they described the Country where they had been to be very Rocky and much the same as we found the high land to be, - neither of us saw any Natives. In this excursion we saw several Poisonous Snakes and killed one which was about 5 feet long and thicker than Snakes are in general of that Length, the back is of a Jett black Colour and the under part a lively Yellow Colour.
In the Evening we returned to Camp much fatigued.
29th Decr. Landed opposite Green Island and walked to the Head of Western Arm, there is good Pasture for a Quarter of a Mile inland from the Water side and at some places more, after which the Country becomes very Barren as to Herbage, but good Timber and some of the Trees very large.
30th. Being anxious to ascertain to a Certainty, whether the River seen by Messrs. Piper & Mountgarrate was likely to be Navigable, I proposed to the above Gentlemen with Mr. Symons to cross the Mountains and to persevere in reaching the Banks and to give me what information they could as far as they could judge from its general appearence, they readily acquiesced to my request, and early next Morning the 31st I conveyed them to the Western Shore with a Guard of three Soldiers and four days Provisions. On the 2nd Jany 1805, the returned much fatigued with every information that could be obtained without having had the Assistance of a Boat.
W. Paterson