ared to lead
between the island we were on and the next to the westward. As this was
the first part of the coast, since leaving Port Usborne, that a sailing
vessel could approach without great risk, we proceeded to examine that
channel more minutely, and were sorry to find the extensive coral reefs
which fronted the islands, left a space of only half a mile between; a
black pointed rock ten feet above high-water, marks the edge of the
western reef, where it is covered by the tide; keeping this close on the
starboard hand, will conduct a ship into good anchorage in 13 and 15
fathoms. The rise and fall of the tide at this place, we found to be 22
feet.

NATIVE HABITATIONS.

As we required another station on the west end of Bathurst Island, I
arranged that we should pass the night in a small cove near its
south-eastern extreme; here we found several native habitations of a
totally different and very superior description to any we had hitherto
seen in any part of Australia; they bore a marked resemblance to those I
had seen on the South-East coast of Tierra del Fuego, which was so
striking as to be remarked even by some of the boat's crew, who had
belonged to the Beagle in her wanderings on that stormy coast.

Stout poles from 14 to 16 feet high formed the framework of these snug
huts--for so indeed they deserve to be termed--these were brought
together conically at the roof; a stout thatching of dried grass
completely excluded both wind and rain, and seemed to bespeak the
existence of a climate at times much more severe than a latitude of 16
degrees 6 minutes south, would lead one to anticipate. The remains of
small fires, a well greased bark pillow, a head ornament of seabird's
feathers, together with several other trifling articles, strewn upon the
floors of these wigwams, proved that they had been very recently
inhabited.

NATIVE RAFT.

But perhaps the most interesting discovery in this bay, was a native
raft, which we found near the beach, in such a position as must have
required the exertions of several men to have placed it there; being
heavier than either of our boats.

In the construction of this raft, almost everything had been left to
nature. It was framed of the dead trunk of a mangrove tree, with three
distinct stems growing from one root, about 18 feet long, and 4 1/2
broad. The roots at one end closely entwined, as is the habit of the
tree, formed a sufficient bulwark at the stem, while an elbow in th