At first they kept aloof until approached by Lieutenant Oxley, whom they soon recognised: after a short interview in which they appeared to place the greatest confidence in all our movements, we ascended the hill to observe the channel over the bar; the water of which was so clear that the deepest part was easily seen.

As this was the principal object we did not delay longer on shore than was necessary, and upon our return sounded the depth of water upon the bar and in the channel, the particulars of which are detailed upon the plan of the harbour.
May 11.
The next morning the two vessels were warped into the port; and by eleven o'clock were anchored within a few yards of the south shore, and secured to trees near the beach, close to a fresh-water stream which ran into the sea.
May 12.
The following day we pulled three or four miles up the river; on the way up two natives were seen in a canoe but on our approach they landed to avoid us and quickly disappeared.

The boat was kept in mid-stream and we passed by without taking any notice of them.

Half a mile further on we put ashore on the south bank and took bearings to fix the position of our station and the direction of the next reach upwards, which appeared to be about three miles long and half a mile broad.

We then returned to the cutter.
May 14.
And on the 14th Lieutenant Oxley and Mr.Roe accompanied me in one of our boats upon the examination of the river.
After reaching our former station on the south bank we proceeded up the long reach towards Black-man Point, on which a tribe of natives were collected: the river is here divided into two streams; we followed that which trended to the westward as it appeared to be the most considerable.
At the end of the next reach the river is again divided into two branches, and as the southernmost was found upon trial to be the shoalest, the other was followed.