During our detention here we ascended the hills over the landing-place to examine the country; but on reaching the top after a rugged and difficult walk, higher hills obstructed our view in every direction.  The bed of the river appeared to continue for some distance through a deep gully formed by precipitous hills.  In the wet season this is doubtless a very considerable stream; and then perhaps the water is fresh as low as the upper part of the first reach.  At this time the holes in the rocks were filled with fresh water but the tide flowed up as far as it was navigable for our boat.  The trees on the tops and sides of the hills had lately been burned:  in the shady parts however near the water, the shore was lined with several plants which had escaped destruction; among them was a species of nutmeg (Myristica insipida, Brown), a tree of twenty-five feet high (Maba laurina, Brown), and on the top of the hills and shelving places halfway down were observed several coniferous trees that resembled the Callitris ventenat, or Australian cypress, which grows in the interior of the colony at Port Jackson:  they were at this season in fruit.

A steep peaked hill near our landing-place was named Donkin’s Hill after the inventor of the preserved meats; upon a canister of which our party dined.  This invention is now so generally known that its merits do not require to be recorded here; we had lately used a case that was preserved in 1814 which was equally good with some that had been packed up in 1818.  This was the first time it had been employed upon our boat excursions and the result fully answered every expectation, as it prevented that excessive and distressing thirst from which, in all other previous expeditions, we had suffered very much.

On our return we landed at the spring.  The tide had covered it; but upon searching another was found farther back among the mangroves, supplying at the rate of two to three gallons a minute; a discovery so valuable that the river was thought worthy of a name and it was called after my companion Mr. Hunter, who shared my pleasure in the gratification of finding what we had hitherto thought, at this season, totally wanting near the coast.

No signs of natives were observed, unless the country, having been lately fired, might indicate their having been in these parts; but, from the very rugged nature of the hills, it is not probable they frequent the neighbourhood of the river.

Kangaroos’ tracks were seen and a small opossum observed skipping about the rocks.  On our return down the river we landed on several parts where the depth of the gullies and the verdure of the trees indicated a probability of our finding fresh water, but in vain; not a drop was obtained.

On returning we were left by the ebbing tide upon a bank of mud; being however near low water, we had only to exercise our patience for two hours.  We reached the vessel by eleven o’clock at night.