The country at the bottom of the gulf appeared to be of a rugged and mountainous character: the hills were observed in detached ranges to rise abruptly from a low level plain extending to the shore, the edge of which was lined as far as we could see by a belt of mangrove bushes.

These plains were covered with salt incrustations over which were scattered the stems and branches of trees that had evidently been washed down from the hills and deposited there by inundations to which this country appears to be frequently subject.

The trees appeared to be of so much larger size than any we have seen growing near the coast that we reasonably concluded the interior to be of a much more productive character than the country in the vicinity of the sea.

Our means were however too confined to satisfy ourselves of this interesting fact.
September 23.
The following morning, the weather being more favourable, we left the bay and, with the remainder of the flood tide, beat through the narrows; in which, at one cast, we had no bottom at forty-five fathoms.

As soon as we passed this strait we entered the basin and a little before high water anchored in eight fathoms on its west side, where at noon, by a meridional observation to the south, the latitude was found to be 15 degrees 21 minutes 53 seconds South.