its outer, and 10 on its inner side, and lying 2 1/4 miles north from
Point Cunningham.

MOSQUITOES.

I spent the early part of this night on shore, a circumstance of which
the tormenting mosquitoes took every possible advantage; finally driving
me from their territory with every indignity, and in a state of mind
anything but placid. The poet doubtless spoke from experience when he
asserted:

--there was never yet philosopher
That could endure the toothache patiently.

And even could such a prodigy of patient endurance be found, I am sure it
would fail him when exposed to the ceaseless persecution of these
inexorable assailants.

February 22.

The greater part of to-day was spent in making a more minute examination
of the bay, the shoal discovered yesterday rendering a more careful
search necessary. From the summit of Point Cunningham, I had a fine view
of the opposite shore of the sound; very broken and rugged it appeared to
be. To the South-East and south I could see no land; a circumstance which
raised my hopes of finding in that direction the long and anxiously
expected river, which the geological formation of the country, and all
the recorded experience of discovery, alike warranted us in anticipating.
The point upon which I stood was a steep and cliffy rock facing the sea,
connected with the mainland by a low and narrow neck of land, but almost
insulated at high-water during the spring tides. A singular cliff,
projecting on its South-East side, is called by Captain King, Carlisle
Head; but we searched in vain for the fresh water, which that
distinguished navigator speaks of, as having been found there by him in
1819.

SINGULAR VITREOUS FORMATION.

We remarked here, certain vitreous formations, in all, except form,
identical with those already described as having been seen at Point Swan.
These were small balls lying loose on the sandy beach, at the bottom of
the cliff; they were highly glazed upon the surface, hollow inside, and
varying in size from a musket, to a tennis ball.*

(*Footnote. Vide Mr. Darwin on "superficial ferrugineous beds" Geology of
Volcanic Islands page 143.)

February 23.

We weighed early in the morning, and rounded Point Cunningham; anchoring
again at 10 o'clock A.M., 8 miles north of it, in 7 fathoms (low-water);
West by North, one mile from where we lay, a red cliffy head, called by
Captain King, in memory of the difficulties which ultimately compelled
him to leave this inte