v. When Number 1 of a group next south of Cairncross bore North 43

degrees West four and a half miles the course was changed to West-North-West to pass between the reef fronting its south side and reef w where we had a depth of 20 fathoms; both of these we found it necessary to enlarge on the chart. At the time of altering the course, the ship was West-North-West two miles from the position of an island according to chart; but as we did not see it, and as Captain King has not laid it down upon his own authority, we may safely conclude that it either does not exist, or that it is much out of position.

BOYDAN ISLAND.

Rounding the reef off its south extremity, we anchored in 18 fathoms, one mile South 65 degrees West from the centre of the island before mentioned--Number 1 of the group South of Cairncross--shortly before noon. This Captain King supposes to be Boydan, that on which the crew of the Charles Eaton were massacred. It was therefore determined that the remainder of the day should be spent in examining the place, with a view to ascertain the correctness of this supposition. The melancholy interest of the search was to me greatly enhanced, from having seen at Sydney young D'Oyly, one of the survivors of this ill-fated party, and son of an Indian officer returning from furlough. Being an infant, his helplessness excited the sympathies of an Indian woman, who snatched him from the arms of his murdered mother, and sheltered him within her own. Nor did her kindness stop here, the never-failing maternal solicitude of the sex, inducing her to protect and console the child.

EXAMINATION OF BOYDAN ISLAND.

We had just read Captain P.P. King's interesting pamphlet in relation to this sad event, detailing with minuteness all the circumstances of the tragedy, and with our minds so recently imbued with the horrors it inspired, naturally advanced to the search with zeal and activity; anxious, if possible, to place the locality of its occurrence beyond a doubt. The isle was easily traversed, being of small extent, not more, indeed, than a mile in circumference. We crossed it accordingly in every direction, and discovered the remains of native fires, near which great quantities of turtle bones, and some coconut shells were scattered about. It was remarkable that wherever boughs were cut, an axe or some other sharp instrument had been used. A topmast with the lower cap attached to it, was found on the South-East side of the island, which we afterwards discovered to be a portion of the brig William, wrecked on the outer barrier three months before.

Captain King drew his conclusions relative to this island from the circumstance of young Ireland's stating, that on their way to it in the canoe, after leaving the raft, they first passed three islands on the right northward, and one on the left southward.

CORRECT CHART.

From the bearings, however, and from our run on the following morning we found it necessary to correct the chart, thus decreasing the number of islands. We found that marked 5, to have no existence, and 6, far too much to the westward, while 8 and 10 were placed to the eastward of their true position. These errors occasionally occur where they are numerous, much alike, and are passed quickly. The change in the number and position of the islands is in some measure hostile to the views of Captain King, and I am further inclined, from these corrections, to draw the conclusion that Number 4 of the group is Boydan island, a name given by the Murray islanders, to the spot rendered notorious by the cold-blooded massacre we have already alluded to, and which will be described more in detail in Captain Stanley's highly interesting narrative, further on in the present work.

On examining the reef fronting the island, which is a more perfect specimen of a lagoon than any we had yet seen, we found that the outer edge consisted of a wall higher than any of the parts within, rising at low-water, to an elevation of ten feet, while inside, pools or holes existed, three or four feet deep, containing live coral, sponges, sea-eggs, and trepang. Scattered about on different parts of the reef were many Chama gigas, not, however, so large as those I had formerly seen at Keeling or Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, weighing 220 pounds.

Singular to say, at 3 P.M., I observed the latitude by a meridian altitude of Venus, although a bright sunny day. The result agreed with Captain King's chart, placing the centre of the island in latitude 11 degrees 28 minutes South.

TIDAL OBSERVATIONS.

We experienced more tide here than at any anchorage we had yet occupied during the passage. From 1 to 5 P.M., it set half an knot an hour to the southward, then changed to North-West by North, increasing its rate to one knot by 10 o'clock, and decreasing it to a quarter of a knot by 2 A.M., when it again set to the South-South-West. The stream thus appears to set nine hours North-West by North and three South-South-West. The short duration of the latter, which is the ebb, is caused by the northerly direction of the prevailing current. This also was the only spot where our fishermen had any success; in a few hours several dozen of a species of small red bream being caught.

Three or four ships passing together would find a secure berth about two miles North-North-East of where the Beagle anchored, where the depth is moderate, with good holding ground. It has great advantage in this particular over Cairncross, where but one vessel could lie snug, and still greater over Turtle Island, more exposed even than the former with a strong tide, and where vessels ride very uneasily. Moreover the supposed Boydan, or Number 1 isle, can be left a full hour before daylight, there being nothing in the way to impede a ship's progress for some miles. Those who are not desirous of passing the reefs off Wednesday and Hammond Islands, late in the day, with the sun in an unfavourable position, can find a convenient stopping place in Blackwood Bay under the largest York isle, or under the Cape of that name.

CAIRNCROSS ISLAND.

July 12.

We left at an early hour, steering North-North-West 1/2 West for Cairncross Island, which we passed at a distance of half a mile from the eastern side in 16 fathoms. Its height is seventy-five feet to the tops of the trees, which, according to Mr. Bynoe, who subsequently visited it in the month of September, are dwarf gums. The tea-tree of the colonists is also found here, in addition to some small bushes. This island is the resort of a large bright cream-coloured pigeon (Carpophaga leucomela) the ends of the wings being tipped with black, or very dark blue. Mr. Bynoe found the island quite alive with them; flocks of about twenty or thirty flying continually to and from the main. They not only resort but breed there, as he found several old nests. As this bird was not met with in the Beagle on the western coast, we may fairly conclude it only inhabits the eastern and northern; the furthest south it was seen by the officers of H.M.S. Britomart was latitude 20 degrees. In addition to these, Mr. Bynoe saw the holes of some small burrowing animals, which are doubtless rats. On a sandy spit, close to the bushes or scrub, he saw a native encampment of a semicircular form, enclosing an area of about ten yards. The occupants had but recently left it, as a fire was found burning, and the impression of their feet still fresh in the sand. It appears that at this season of the year, being the favourable monsoon for ships passing through the Barrier reefs on their voyage to India, the islands to the southward are much frequented by the natives of Murray and others of the northern isles, waiting, like wreckers of old, the untoward loss of some ill-fated ship, when their canoes appear as if by magic, hastening to the doomed vessel; just as in the Pampas of South America, no sooner has the sportsman brought down a deer than the air is filled with myriads of vultures winging their way towards the carcass, though a few minutes before not a feather was stirring. The long-sightedness of these Indians resembles that of the carrion bird itself,* while their rapacity and recklessness of blood is fully equal to that of the lower animal.

(*Footnote. As some of our readers may imagine that vultures and birds of prey are attracted to the carcasses of animals by smell, I may state that an experiment was tried with a condor in South America; being hoodwinked, he passed unnoticed a large piece of beef, but as soon as the bandage was removed, he rushed eagerly towards and devoured it.)

PUDDING-PAN HILL.

We left our readers at Cairncross Island, and now return to our narrative by describing the neighbouring coast. The most remarkable feature on this part of the mainland, generally speaking a dull monotonous level, is a hill bearing over the extremity of the reef fronting the south side of Cairncross, South 45 degrees West, to which Captain Bligh has given the quaint name of Pudding-Pan Hill. It received this appellation from a resemblance to an inverted pudding dish, commonly used by sailors, and is 354 feet high. The coast about ten miles to the northward projects a mile and a half further eastward than is marked in the chart. This error did not however appear to be so great south of Escape River, where the character of the coast is low and cliffy, separated by small sandy bays; instead of a continued line of cliffs as at present represented.

ESCAPE RIVER.

At noon we were in the parallel of the south point of Escape River, in latitude 10 degrees 58 minutes South, observations and bearings both agreeing. This river receives its name in record of one of those narrow escapes to which surveying vessels are subject, Captain King having been nearly wrecked in the Mermaid. Attempting to enter the river he found it not to be navigable, a reef extending across its mouth, on which his vessel struck very heavily.

CORRECT POSITION OF REEFS.

Avoiding Captain King's track, we passed to the eastward of reef x, being thus afforded a better opportunity of determining its position than he had. This we did by transit bearings with different points, which placed it nearly two miles South by East of the spot assigned it on the charts.*

(*Footnote. On mentioning this afterwards to Captain P.P. King, he told me his survey of that part of the coast had never given him satisfaction; for there the monsoon blows fresh, and his small vessel was hurried past without his being able to land in search of better data for the chart. The reader must not, from these corrections (few, when we consider the extent of the survey) be led to imagine that our object is to pick out errors in the surveys of others; but from being in a larger and better appointed vessel, our opportunities of examination were necessarily greater than those afforded to Captain King, who was always most anxious to detect errors in his own charts. Without dwelling on the fact that the result of our examination afforded us the satisfaction of restoring parts of the chart, before erroneously corrected, to his original construction, we would venture to hope that, while desirous as much as possible to perfect our knowledge of the coast, we were in no manner actuated by that spirit of fault-finding, so pithily described by Liebeg, when he says that it is "startling to reflect that all the time and energy of a multitude of persons of genius, talent, and knowledge is expended in endeavours to demonstrate each others' errors.")

This error we found to extend also to reefs y and z. X is one of the oval-shaped reefs, with the singular white patch of dead coral on its northern extremity which I have before spoken of. Z is similarly marked, and dries at last quarter ebb, while the South-East part of y is never covered, a few mangroves growing on it. When abreast of x, we saw from deck the curious flat-topped hill on the largest York island, Mount Adolphus, and when over the centre of reef z, it bore North 23 1/2 degrees West. We now steered to the westward between reefs, x and y, and afterwards North-North-West for Mount Adolphus. Between the Brothers and Albany Islands the depth was 10 fathoms; these are both black rocky lumps, particularly the latter, the outer being a mere pointed rock. Altogether they assume a sterile and dreary appearance, in excellent keeping with the inhospitable character of the adjoining coast. Several shoals and much shoal water were noticed in Newcastle Bay.

BLACKWOOD BAY.

At 4 P.M., we anchored in Blackwood Bay, in a depth of 10 fathoms. Point Dicky bearing South half a mile, and Mount Adolphus North-East. In the evening a plan was made of this very convenient stopping place for ships, and all the angles taken to the North-West extremity of the group, place them a mile and a half to the eastward of their position in the chart. Observations were also obtained near Point Dicky, which we found to be in latitude 10 degrees 38 3/4 minutes South and longitude 10 degrees 28 minutes East of Port Essington. The North-West extremity of the singular flat-topped hill being 1 minute 05 seconds North, and 45 seconds East of this spot. The first question interesting to ships is the supply of wood and water; the latter we had no time to look for, but of the former there was an abundance, though from the shore being fronted by extensive coral flats, it is difficult to be attained.

The appearance of the island is similar to that of the Albany cluster, it having the same rocky, bleak, and almost wild look; from which I conclude they are of the same formation, which in general terms we may call porphyritic. Parts of the island appeared to be intersected by a growth of mangroves.

There appeared great irregularity in the tides at this anchorage, as if there were a meeting of various streams. At 5 P.M. it was setting South-West about an hour, and continued to run in that direction until 8 hours 30 minutes, gradually decreasing its rate. It then took a North and by East direction with the same velocity, until half an hour after midnight, when it again changed back to South-South-West, a course it pursued during the remainder of our stay. By the rise of the water on the shore it would appear that the flood came from the westward.

TORRES STRAIT.

On reaching York Island we considered ourselves within the Strait, which took its name from the Spanish navigator Torres, who sailed in 1605, second in command under Pedro Fernandes de Quiros, from Callao in Peru, with the object of discovering the Tierra Austral, then supposed to be a continent occupying a considerable portion of the southern hemisphere, lying westward of America. Torres passed through this strait in 1606, but despite the great importance of the discovery, its existence remained unknown until 1762, from the jealousy of the Spanish monarchy, which kept the reports of its navigators a secret from the world. At the time in question, however, Manila fell into our hands, and in the archives of that colony, a duplicate copy of Torres's letter to the king of Spain was found by the hydrographer, Mr. Dalrymple. The passage was now made known, and in tardy justice to the discoverer it received the appellation of Torres Strait; a tribute to the reputation of man, the greatest perhaps which could be bestowed, since no more sure road to immortality can be pointed out, than giving a name to the great and imperishable works of the Creator's hand. It was not however until 1770, that the world received full confirmation of this great acquisition to our geographical knowledge; the immortal Cook then passing through and settling the question of its existence. This being the high road between our growing Eastern and Australian possessions, the reader will at once see the importance which must ever attach to the discovery, and will the more readily comprehend our enlarging in some degree upon the circumstance.

July 13.

There had been noticed last evening a slight rippling outside the bay, and on leaving this morning we found it to be a ridge about two cables width, the least water on it being three fathoms. From the shoalest part, Mount Adolphus bore North 56 degrees East, and Point Dicky South 26 degrees East. It appeared by the ripples continuing towards the north-west of York Island, that this rocky ledge extended in that direction. Vessels entering Blackwood Bay may always avoid this shoal, by keeping close to Point Dicky, or by steering for Mount Adolphus, when it bears North-East 1/2 North.

Being desirous to know if there were a practicable channel through Endeavour Strait, by which the inconvenience before alluded to, of passing the reef fronting Hammond's Island late in the afternoon, might be avoided, we proceeded in that direction, passing along the north-eastern extreme of the continent, and between the Possession Islands we entered Endeavour Strait. This termination of the shores of Australia, being level and of moderate elevation, presents nothing remarkable, save a peak over Cape York and fronting the Possession Isles.

COOK'S ISLAND.

It has an inhospitable appearance, being apparently similar in formation with York Isles, and subsides rapidly to the South-West forming the south side of Endeavour Strait, where it scarcely reaches an elevation of fifty feet: contrasting forcibly with the high rocky land of the opposite side of the Strait, formed by the largest of the Prince of Wales Islands; upon which former navigators not having bestowed a name, we conferred that of the immortal navigator. Not but that the Strait known by the name of his ship, is quite sufficient to recall the mind of posterity to his perils and dangers in these seas; but that we his humble followers in the great cause of discovery might add our mite to the wreath of glory which must ever encircle the name of Captain Cook.

On the North-East extremity of this island is a remarkable peak, in the shape of a horn, called by him Horn Hill. Captain King having only passed between the eastern of the Possession Isles, little was known of the western shores. A few angles and bearings were accordingly taken, as we passed between them to assist in remedying this deficiency.

ENDEAVOUR STRAIT.

There was no impediment to our passage through the Strait, until we got abreast of Wallis Isles, Cape Cornwall bearing East by North 1/2 North; when the water shoaled to four fathoms and a half. Finding by hauling up on either tack, that we were on a ridge extending from the Cape, we ran to the westward, until we could cross it, which we did in three and a half fathoms, North Wallis Island bearing South-West five miles.

BOOBY ISLAND.

I saw at the time from the masthead, a blue streak of water to the southward, still affording hopes of there being a deep outlet to Endeavour Strait; but as the day was far advanced, with a fresh breeze from East-South-East, it was not deemed prudent to get the ship entangled in shoal water; therefore, after crossing the ridge extending off Cape Cornwall we steered North-West 1/2 West for Booby Island, in regular soundings of six and seven fathoms, and late in the afternoon anchored nearly a mile from its western side, a flagstaff bearing South 65 degrees East. This we found on landing had been erected in 1835 by Captain Hobson,* of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, who at the same time placed in a large box, made for the purpose, a book with printed forms, which every ship passing filled up, with the addition of such remarks as were thought of consequence. Over this box in large letters were painted the words Post Office, a name by which Booby Island must be quite familiar to all who have navigated these seas; ships being here in the habit of leaving letters for transmission by any vessel proceeding in the required directions. I noticed a similar practice prevailing among the whalers at the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific. We are indebted for the book to the public spiritedness of an Indian army officer. The beneficial results of the plan were experienced by ourselves, as here we first heard of the Port Essington expedition, having passed eight months previously; also of the schooner Essington, that left Sydney in advance of the expedition for that place, having succeeded in determining the fact of the non-existence of the other young D'Oyly, one of the passengers of the ill-fated Charles Eaton. This result of the enterprising merchant-man's researches, fully bears out the fact mentioned by Captain King, on the authority of the Darnley islanders, that he shared the fate of his parents, being devoured by their savage captors. All the ships which have recorded their passage in the book, appeared to have entered the Barrier between the latitude of 11 degrees 30 minutes and 12 degrees 10 minutes; generally about 11 degrees 50 minutes reaching Sir Charles Hardy's Island the same day. They all spoke of a strong northerly current outside the reef, in some instances of nearly three knots. The time occupied in making the passage from Sydney by the outer route, varied from fourteen to twenty days, it being certainly shorter than the inner, though attended with much greater risks. One objection made against the latter is the necessity of anchoring every evening, somewhat laborious work to the crews of merchant ships; this might be obviated in some measure by using a light anchor, which could be done with perfect safety in the still waters within the reefs. We found two barques at anchor, which had arrived on the preceding day. In accordance with a practice very generally observed, they were giving themselves a short period of repose and relaxation after the anxieties and danger of the outer passage; which, short as it is, has doubtless sprinkled grey hairs over many a seaman's head.

(*Footnote. Afterwards Governor of New Zealand.)

ITS DESCRIPTION.

Although Booby Island is a mere rock, from the various associations connected with it, being during one half of the year the constant resort of Europeans, it becomes at once a place of interest, and imperatively demands some notice at our hands. It is a quarter of a mile in diameter, flat, and about thirty feet high, the summit being bare porphyry rock. A valley intersects the north-west side of the island, in which a few creepers, some brushwood, and two or three trees of tolerable size, with a peculiar broad green leaf, bearing a great resemblance to that of the wild almond of the West Indies, were seen, giving shelter to some pigeons and quails, in which latter the island abounds, even more than in the bird which gives its name to the locality. Still, however, from the white colour of the top of the island, produced by the boobies, it is clearly one of their temporary haunts; and indeed, subsequently, in the month of September, their season of incubation, Mr. Bynoe saw them there in great abundance. The contrary was the case with the quail, which, by that time, had completely deserted the island. Turtle were once found on this isle, but they are now never taken. A few of the stones mentioned by Captain King are still to be seen on the summit.

REMARKS ON THE CORAL REEFS OF AUSTRALIA.

This being a point at which ships correct or test the going of their chronometers, it was necessary to obtain observations for longitude. The spot chosen for the purpose was the landing-place near the South-West corner of the islet, and which we found to be 9 degrees 45 minutes East of Port Essington.

Our opportunities of examination with regard to the inner edge of the Great Barrier, and its contiguous islands and reefs, terminating at Booby Island; it may not be deemed irrelevant to hazard a few remarks in recapitulation. In the first place there was a very perceptible increase in the elevation of the reefs and of those islands resting on similar constructions, as we advanced to the northward. Cairncross Island, in latitude 11 1/4 degrees South, composed of heaped up consolidated fragments, attains an elevation of 17 feet; but its trees rise to a height of 75 feet, whilst to the southward, in latitude 13 1/2 degrees South the islands were partially flooded by a tide, rising only about six feet. The reefs are all either circular or oval-shaped, with a rim rising round them. The description of that fronting the isle we visited for Boydan will illustrate their general character. Their northern ends are the highest, and are almost invariably marked by a heap of dead coral and shells, which as we have mentioned, in one or two instances, from its white appearance has often been taken for sand.

The remarkable breaks in this singularly great extent of coral reefs, known as the Barrier of Australia, being in direction varying from West to West-North-West generally speaking North-West, leads me to believe that the upheaval by which the base of this huge coral building was formed, partakes of the general north-westerly direction, in which a large portion of the eastern world apparently emerged from the water. A glance at the map of that portion of the globe, will strengthen this hypothesis, placing as it does this singular fact at once before the reader's mind. Starting with the stupendous heights of the Himalaya mountains, and proceeding thence to several groups of the Polynesian islands, New Caledonia, and others, this remarkable similarity in the trend of these portions of the earth is plainly distinguishable. It would appear, therefore, from the general north-westerly tendency of these upheavals, that the cavernous hollows beneath the crust of the earth, within whose bosom originated these remarkable convulsions, have a strong inclination in one direction, a circumstance in connection with the earth's history of great and curious interest. With this general statement of facts, which we note for the benefit of scientific men, and in illustration of the singular changes which are taking place on the surface of the globe, we return to our narrative, from which we have wandered at some considerable length.

As the duration of our cruise on the north-west and most interesting portions of the coast, depended in a great measure on the supply of provisions to be obtained at Port Essington, we were naturally anxious to satisfy ourselves upon the point, and accordingly spent but a few hours at Booby Island, taking our departure at 8 P.M. on the day of our arrival.

PROCEED TO PORT ESSINGTON.

Proceeding towards Port Essington, we experienced a constant current setting between North-West and West, from half to three quarters of a knot an hour, except when crossing the mouth of the Gulf of Carpentaria, when from the indraught its direction was changed to West-South-West. The winds were as Captain King has described them, veering from South-South-East in the morning, to East in the evening, and blowing fresh towards the middle of the day.

Beyond this nothing occurred worthy of remark, until the morning of the 17th, when soon after daylight we found ourselves steering rather within a large patch of discoloured water, extending off Cape Croker, the North-East extreme of the Coburg Peninsula, a low point with a slight hummock on it; on the north side of this peninsula is situated Port Essington, thirty miles to the westward of the Cape.

CAPE CROKER REEF.

The light-coloured water off the latter, we knew indicated the reef discovered by the brig Tigris, belonging to the Indian navy, which in company with the New South Wales colonial schooner, Isabella, was returning from rescuing the survivors of the Charles Eaton, from the natives of Murray Island. When half a mile from the North-East side, in 22 fathoms rocky bottom, Cape Croker, bearing South 29 degrees East six miles; we steered out, keeping at the same distance round this patch of light water in twenty and twenty-one fathoms, seven or eight miles from the Cape, which bore when over what appeared the shoalest part, South 42 degrees East.

This conclusion I afterwards found, on meeting Captain Stanley, to be correct, as that bearing led over the part of the reef he struck on in H.M.S. Britomart. But being on the inner part he was distant only three miles from Cape Croker, whilst the outer edge of the reef I believe to be seven miles from it on the same bearing. In hauling up to the southward, round the North-West extreme of the discoloured water, the soundings were as follows, 17, 12, and 19 fathoms, with rocky bottom. The Cape bore when in the least depth South 58 degrees East nine miles.

We were fortunate in having such good means of determining the longitude of Cape Croker, by observation of a twilight star when in the meridian, and others with the sun soon afterwards. These both agreeing, place the Cape 27 1/4 miles east of Port Essington, instead of 20, as it is laid down in the chart. This discovery is of vital importance to ships proceeding to Port Essington; we were therefore glad of so good an opportunity for rectifying the error.

PORT ESSINGTON.

Expectation was on tip-toe as we were fast approaching Port Essington, feeling naturally anxious to see what progress had been made at the new settlement, and to learn the fate of the expedition. There was, however, nothing striking in the first appearance of the land, a low woody shore; the most remarkable object being a sandy islet, with a tree in its centre, about a mile east of Point Smith, the eastern point of Port Essington: Vashon Head forming the western.

As we drew near, a boat came alongside belonging to H.M.S. Britomart. From Mr. Pascoe we heard that the Alligator had just sailed for Sydney, leaving the former to await her return at Port Essington. The people forming the settlement had been very healthy, bearing out Dr. Wilson's account of Raffles Bay; and had found the natives exceedingly well disposed. For this advantage we are indebted to the excellent judgment displayed by the unfortunate* Captain Barker, late Commandant of Raffles Bay, he having during his stay in that place, treated them with kindness, to which they were fairly entitled from men so far their superiors in knowledge and power, and who were moreover intruders upon their soil. Had this noble conduct of Captain Barker been more universally accepted as an example, the results would, we doubt not, have been equally satisfactory elsewhere.

(*Footnote. This expression may to some of our readers require explanation, and we therefore quote a brief extract from Dr. Wilson's voyage round the world, page 284. "In obedience to orders from the Colonial Government, he was examining the coast in the vicinity of Encounter Bay, principally with the view of ascertaining whether any available communication existed between the river Murray (lately discovered by Captain Sturt) and the Sea. While in the execution of this duty, he was barbarously murdered by the natives, and his body thrown into the sea." In Sturt's two Expeditions volume 2 page 239, a detailed narrative of this tragedy is given.)

WRECK OF THE ORONTES.

We also heard with much regret,* of the wreck of the Orontes, which accompanied the expedition from Sydney. She left the settlement, with the intention of proceeding to some port in the East Indies; and when just clearing the harbour struck on a reef, knocking a hole in her bows. She filled so rapidly that they had barely time to reach the shore under Vashon Head, ere she sank. The reef, which now bears her name, is according to Mr. Tyers' plan, received from Mr. Pascoe, a mile in extent east and west, and half a mile north and south; while the nearest part of it is distant from Vashon Head and Point Smith very nearly five miles. From its extremes the following are the bearings; from the western, Vashon Head South 49 degrees West, Point Smith South 55 degrees East: and from the eastern the same points bear South 60 degrees West and South 48 degrees East.

(*Footnote. The loss of a ship is always looked upon as a most untoward event, on the occasion of a new settlement being formed, and is ever forcibly imprinted upon the memory of all ship-masters. This was felt to a most serious extent at Swan River; and many masters of vessels in speaking of Port Essington, have at once expressed their fear of proceeding thither, deterred by the loss of the Orontes.)

ORONTES REEF.

The least depth on the Orontes reef is about a fathom, but the generally discoloured state of the water, renders it impossible to determine its exact position, and thus greatly increases the injury done by its presence to the mouth of the harbour. The same difficulty prevents the end of the reef fronting Point Smith from being made out. After rounding the latter, we hauled to the wind, South-West by South up Port Essington.