ty.

SANDALWOOD.

Captains Flinders and King, having given a description of the Percy
Isles, it will
not be necessary for me to say anything about them, further than that
they are composed of a trap-like compound with an aspect of serpentine,
and that either on them or the Northumberland Isles, sandalwood has been
found of late, and taken by a Tasmanian vessel to the China market. Just
before dark, the soundings decreased to 29 fathoms, Pine Peak of Percy
Group, bearing South-West 10 miles. Our course was now shaped for Cape
Gloucester, the extreme of the Cumberland Isles; and about this time we
felt the flood-tide setting South-West by West nearly a knot an hour, a
sure indication of there being openings in the barriers in that
direction. The great distance at which this part of it lies from the
islands will render its examination a difficult and hazardous
undertaking. The night was anything but favourable for sailing among
islands, being very hazy, with passing rain squalls. At midnight we
passed nearly two miles from the North-East side of k of the Cumberland
Group, in 27 fathoms, in which depth we continued till getting abreast of
Pentecost Island, the next evening, the 24th, when it increased to 35
fathoms, but still on the same kind of green sandy mud bottom. At 10 P.M.
we passed about seven miles from Cape Gloucester, which at that part was
nearly 1600 feet high. Yet the night was so hazy, that it was only
visible at intervals. Here we noticed many ripplings which we afterwards
found indicated a North-North-West current of a knot and a half an hour,
caused no doubt by the proximity of a part of the barrier, the distance
between it and Cape Gloucester being only 13 miles. I may here observe
that the barometer was very high with these fresh South-East winds and
hazy weather, and rather low during the light North-West winds we
experienced in the neighbourhood of Cape Capricorn.

CAPE UPSTART.

June 25.

At daylight the Beagle was a few miles east of Cape Upstart, in 17
fathoms, having passed two miles from the north side of Holborn Island,
in 28 fathoms. The above headland received its name from Captain Cook,
and peculiarly deserves it, appearing in fact from the lowness of the
land behind, actually to start up out of the water.

Chronometers being chiefly affected by changes of temperature, it was
necessary to ascertain the rates of those in the Beagle again before
reaching Port Essington, for a correct mea