After about two miles of wading of this description, which we considerably increased by turning and winding about to avoid soft places, we at length fairly stepped on terra firma and found ourselves at the base of some almost imperceptibly-sloping ground which gradually rose into low, red, sandy, loamy hills, thinly covered with grass, bushes, and stunted trees.  Across these we bent our steps in a south-east direction, no change whatever taking place in the character of the country as far as we went or as far as we could see.  But our travels in this line only extended for about three miles, when we suddenly came upon a lagoon of fresh water lying between two of the hills.  All bent the knee at once, at this discovery, to plunge their faces deep in the pool, and, presently raising them up again, a black watery line, extending round the countenance, showed plainly how deeply each one had dipped.

Mr. Smith and myself laughed heartily at our dirty-faced companions, who knelt on their hands and knees round the pool; and whilst they were filling the beakers with water we rested under the shade of the bush for a few minutes, and then walked off towards the interior; but from the undulating low nature of the ground our view was very limited, and as far as we could see there was no sign whatever of any change in the character of the country.  On returning again to the party we found the beakers and men equally full of water and ready for a start to the boats.

WADING THROUGH THE MUD.

When we reached again the mangrove flats a most amusing scene commenced; wading through the mud was bad enough before, but now that each man had a heavy keg of water upon his shoulders the movements became truly ludicrous, more especially as both landsmen and sailors were equally out of their element.  Each desperate plunge elicited from the sufferers oaths and expressions which only those who have seen sailors completely at a nonplus on shore can conceive.  They were half humorous, half pathetic, and never did I see men more thoroughly woebegone and bedaubed with mud than the party when we made the boats again.

Those whom I had left behind now greedily drank the water of which they were so much in want, and, as it was necessary to complete our stock of it here, after we had dined I despatched all hands but Mr. Smith and one man back to the lagoon.  Mr. Smith was too unwell to go again and I remained with him.  This party took their rations with them as they were to remain by the lagoon all night in order, as they termed it, “to have a good bouse out of water, and a good wash,” and were to return to the boats as soon after daylight as possible.