We were obliged to complete everything in a hurried and unsatisfactory manner, for our departure had been so long delayed that we were every day in expectation of the setting in of the heavy rains and the consequent flooding of the ravine in which we were encamped; and in the event of this taking place before we made a start it was impossible to foresee for how long a period our movements might be delayed.
CHARACTER OF ITS SHORES.
On Monday the 22nd Captain Browse and Mr.Walker accompanied me in the jolly-boat up Prince Regent's River; we went up with the flood-tide, entering the river by its northern mouth; I had thus an opportunity of examining the island which lies at the entrance to this great arm of the sea, and landed upon it in several places, but found only bad sandy land, occasionally covered with rocks; it was however well wooded and abounded with birds.

After we had passed the mouth of Rothsay Water the tide swept us along with great rapidity, and we soon found ourselves in St.George's Basin.

I kept close along the northern shore, where we saw but little good land after entering the basin; but there was one fertile island, of a small conical shape, bearing nearly due east as you enter.

From the appearance of this island there can be no doubt whatever that it is of volcanic origin; as it in all respects resembles Mount Lyell and the other basaltic conical hills which we afterwards found in the fertile district of Glenelg; we did not however land on it, but merely ran close by, and then continued our route up the river.
St.George's Basin is a noble sheet of water some ten or twelve miles across.

On its southern side deep inlets run up into a low and marshy country, leading to fertile districts, and the main object of my present excursion was to endeavour to identify these inlets with some I had seen on my first trip to the southward.
SCENERY AND THUNDERSTORM.
On the northern bank lofty mountains, crowned with castellated summits, rear their sterile heads over the broad waters, and fling their giant shadows on the bosom of the basin, forming a scene of surpassing beauty.
We had entered the more contracted channel of the river, when there came on a tremendous squall of wind, rain, thunder, and most vivid lightning.
The pealing echoes of the thunder as they bounded from height to height and from cliff to cliff was awfully magnificent; whilst the rugged mountains which had just before looked golden in the bright light of the setting sun were now shrouded in gloomy mists, and capped with dark clouds from which issued incessant and dazzling flashes of lightning.
During this grand and terrific elemental convulsion our little boat was driven powerless before the blast.