regretted, as, from the day being spent, we could not strike across the country to endeavour to fall in with it. It being now quite dark, we thought we might have some difficulty in retracing our steps to the place where the boat lay waiting for us; but, knowing that we had taken a westernly direction, we reversed the course, and, guided by the stars, (after several tumbles over fallen trees,) we got safely to the boat, where we found the men anxiously expecting us. We arrived on board about three o'clock in the morning, after a long and very tiresome pull.
When Captain Barker visited Port Essington, on a former occasion, he found the stream in question of considerable magnitude, and, from appearances, he was induced to believe it to be permanent; but, as his visit was shortly after the conclusion of the rainy season, this was by no means certain. Had it been running now, at the termination of the dry season, the matter would have been placed beyond a doubt. It was, therefore, to be regretted, that we did not succeed in deciding the question.
On Saturday morning, the 31st of August, the brig was got under weigh, and we left the north coast of New Holland exactly six years after the date of Mr. Barnes's letter to Lord Bathurst.
It may not be out of place now to make a few remarks as to the formation of these settlements, and also as to the events which unfortunately led to their abandonment.
