[page 43]

1802 Aug [Sunday] - 8th. continued. H.M.S.Investigator [Boat excursion up the No.1, port, of the east coast]

We saw marks of them wherever we landed, but themselves were not seen. -
   Where I landed, the country was always stony, the country being overspread with loose stones of different sizes; but grass was not wanting and the trees were abundant and of a tolerable size. Quartzose granite, with red and black streaks, and sometimes pure quartz, formed the general body of the rock and stones, and was frequently cracked and broken in all directions, so that it was dangerous climbing up the rocky hills in some places for fear of their giving way. A slaty stone was not unfrequently found, and was stratified; and upon the 1st. island I found a softish white stone, which I thought might be calcarious, but it did not effervesce with acids on being brought on board
   The higher islands appear to consist of the same kind of stone as the main land, and they are also covered with wood and herbage. The lower islands are of mud or sand, but most probably upon a rocky foundation: they are thickly covered with mangroves as are the greater part of the shores of the river: The naturalist found 3 different kinds of this tree; but th[indecipherable letters] whose roots interweave thickly with each other seems to be the most numerous.