th-West extreme,
leaving a narrow passage between it and the main. This flat is covered
with brushwood, gumtrees, and a few palms. The observations were made on
this point, and the results were as follow: latitude 12 degrees 37
minutes 30 seconds South, longitude 11 degrees 16 3/4 minutes East of
Port Essington.

July 10.

The morning broke with the same dull, gloomy weather, the wind fresh at
South-East and continued thus during the day, slightly diversified by a
few passing rain squalls. Soon after daylight we were again on our
passage, the cloudy weather enabling us to make out the Eastern reefs,
which at high-water are covered, and consequently difficult to be seen in
that direction in the morning. They front Quoin and Forbes Islands,
remarkable rocky lumps, more so, however, from the extreme lowness of
those in their vicinity, than from their own magnitude. The latter was
found to be 340 feet high. A North-West by North course from Restoration
brought us to Piper Islands. The soundings were from 11 to 13 fathoms,
with a greater proportion of sand in the quality of the bottom than had
been before noticed.

SIR EVERARD HOME'S ISLANDS.

Passing between them and reefs H and I also between Young Island (an
elevated reef, with one small mangrove growing on the highest part) and
reef M, we hauled up North-East by North round the north end of the
latter, to weather Sir Everard Home's Islands, a low group connected by
shoal water and extending about four miles from Cape Grenville. We passed
midway between them and Haggerston's Islands, a square lump 240 feet
high.

COCKBURN ISLANDS.

Sir Charles Hardy's and the Cockburn Isles are also conspicuous objects
in this neighbourhood, particularly the former, which is visible from
outside the Barrier, and thus forms a leading mark for ships making their
way through these reefs.

In the evening the anchor was dropped about a mile from the north side of
the Bird Isles in ten fathoms, a sudden degree from fifteen, just before
standing in West-South-West to the anchorage. Five miles South-East by
East from these isles, we passed close to the position of a patch of
shoal water, according to the chart: its presence, however, was not
detected, the depth at the time being nineteen fathoms. The only
additions made to the chart during the day were a few soundings, besides
increasing the number and altering the position of Cockburn Islands, with
the reefs fronting them. The number o