[Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia by Phillip Parker King]@TWC D-Link book
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia

CHAPTER 7
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This plant is described in Mr.Cunningham's Journal as Acacia leucophoea.) (**Footnote.

For the farther description of Cambridge Gulf see the Appendix A Part 4.) As the western arm appeared to be of most importance we entered it and, with a strong flood tide, proceeded with great rapidity; as sunset approached we began to look for an anchorage, but found much difficulty on account of the strength of the tides, the great depth of water, and, as I at first thought, the unfavourable quality of the bottom: at last the anchor was dropped close to the south-west shore of Adolphus Island in the entrance of another arm which appeared to trend to the south-east under Mount Connexion.

The noise made by the chain cable in running through the hawse-hole put to flight a prodigious number of bats that were roosting in the mangrove bushes; and which, flying over and about the cutter's mast, quite darkened the air with their numbers.
September 19.
As I purposed remaining two days at this anchorage to examine the country we landed the next morning under View Hill, a high steep point on the south shore abreast of the anchorage; and, having climbed the summit by a rugged and fatiguing ascent, our labour was amply repaid by a very extensive view of the surrounding country and by obtaining bearings of Lacrosse Island and Shakspeare Hill; which served to fix the position of View Hill.
The south end of Adolphus Island, of which I had a commanding view, is a low, flat salt-swamp surrounded by mangrove bushes.

To the south-eastward of Shakspeare Hill but quite detached from it is a range of hills extending in unconnected patches toward Mount Connexion.

The principal stream of the gulf, which is the west arm, runs under the base of View Hill; three and a half miles farther on it opens into an extensive basin at the bottom of which is some high land; here the basin is contracted in its size, and trends to the westward round a mangrove point, where it was lost to view.
Mr.Cunningham had also made an excursion upon Adolphus Island; he had walked over the salt-swamp towards the hills, which, from his description, are precisely of the same character as View Hill; the rock formation is principally of sandstone, blocks of which (the largest not exceeding three feet in diameter) are profusely scattered over the sandy soil and are sometimes found covered with a crust of quartz: but notwithstanding the aridity and apparent barrenness of the soil, many plants were recovering from the destructive effects of recent fires and springing up in great luxuriance.


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