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[1802 Aug. [Friday] 13th. Boat excursions to examine the] rivers of Keppel Bay

reddish cliffs might take us into some other arm of Keppel Bay, and finding four fathoms in the channel favoured the supposition for a little time; but at the distance of 2 miles up it became quite shoal and choaked up with mangroves, and obliged us to return by the way we came.- The tide having half ebbed before we came to the shoalest part of the communicating channel, where it is intersected by mangrove islands, the boat was scarcely saved from being left upon the soft mud 'till the return of the following tide; and until we came abreast of the place where we had slept, the shallowness of the water obliged us constantly to chuse look out for where it was deep enough for the boat. The space which is judged to be mostly dry at the last quarter ebb, is about 21/2 miles in length; but it is, however, possible, that some small stream of sufficient depth for a boat to pass at all times, may exist in some of the mangrove channels amongst the mangroves, but I think it doubtful. [The rise of the tide being from 8 to 14 feet, boats of any size may pass from one part to the other by suiting the tides, and both tides may be made to be favourable by taking care to be in the shoalest part abt. the time of high water.
 [Saturday] - 14th. Having nearly reached the point which divides the eastern arm into two branches, before the ebb tide was done, we stopped to dine, and to take bearings. Afterwds. we entered