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[]Page 9]
(9)
and from their shyness. -- I have little reason to doubt but that some of the European deserters are among them. -- The country round this lagoon is tolerable soil, and certainly affords food for the Natives. -- The surface is much grub'd up -- particularly where roots of Fearns, orchis's and a species of Arum grow which had nearly been fatal to some of our people.
Late in the evening the boat returned but could not find any communication the creek had with the lagoon. -- The men said they had seen very fine Trees of Cedar and Ash. --
6th
Rain. -- Attempted to carry Mr. Harris's boat over land, but found our force insufficient. --
7th
Rain. -- As our provisions began to get rather short and a probability of our being here some time longer, we made another attempt of getting the Boat to the lagoon by sending her again up the creek to a place which is not two hundred yards from it, and near to where we had seen so many Black Swans and Wild Ducks, of which we hoped for a reasonable supply Mr. Harris with three soldiers attended the Boat which with some trouble was removed from the Creek into the lagoon -- and Mr. Lewin remain'd with me at the hut preserving Birds that were shot the day before, and collecting wood to keep up a fire for the night. In the evening on Mr. Harris's return we found him much disappointed in his expectations having only brought in one duck and six young