ck inlaid with patterns of bright
gold. But the plunge of my companion's horse in the water, and his voice
calling out that all was right, soon drew me away, and in another moment
I was fording in utter darkness the rapid though shallow stream of the
Karuah.

We passed the night at Stroud, and next morning started for Port
Stephens. There having been some delay in getting my horse, I was obliged
to push over the first seven miles in little more than a quarter of an
hour, the postman having waited for me over his time.

PORT STEPHENS.

On the 15th, the requisite observations were obtained for rating the
chronometers, which we found had altered their rates in a most singular
manner; so much so, that in spite of the short interval that had elapsed
since our departure from Sydney, we found the resulting meridian distance
between that place and Port Stephens, to be very defective. This fact
illustrates the unaccountable changes that sometimes occur in the rates
of chronometers, and the necessity of repeated measures of difference of
longitude to arrive at the truth.

On the morning of the 16th we again sailed for the North coast with a
fine southerly wind.

June 19.

At noon, when in 30 fathoms, with coarse sand bottom, we saw Indian Head,
bearing North-North-West 10 miles, it is a dark cliffy point; but there
is another more remarkable in the shape of a quoin, three or four miles
to the northward. At 8 P.M., we were in the same depth, Sandy Cape, so
named by Cook for its being a low point streaked with patches of white
sand, bearing West-South-West eight miles. As it was now blowing very
hard from East-South-East, with constant squalls and thick rainy weather,
the ship was brought to the wind under snug sail, for the night.

June 20.

At daylight we were in 18 fathoms, the outer elbow of Breaksea Spit,
bearing South-East by South three miles.

LARGE SHARK.

It was when anchored under this Spit that in H.M.S. Britomart, a
monstrous shark was caught, about twenty feet long, in which were found
the bones of some very large animal, possibly those of a bullock, that
had been carried out to sea by some current. Steering North-North-West we
deepened the water in eight miles to 32 fathoms, and after rounding the
northern extremity of Breaksea Spit, which appeared to be formed of a few
detached breakers, steered West by North for Bustard Bay. In 28 fathoms,
with fine sand, we passed three miles south of Lady Elliott's I