f these isles is thus increased from
two to four; they are square rocky lumps, the largest being three hundred
feet high. The current during the day set steadily North-West almost a
mile an hour. On anchoring we found it setting West-North-West at the
same rate. At midnight it changed its direction to East-South-East from a
quarter to half a knot an hour. The time of high-water being about 6
A.M., it is evident the flood-stream came here from South or South-East.
The islands passed during the day, were of a small lagoon character and
the reefs oval-shaped, with an elevated patch of dead coral at their
north extreme, which had the appearance, at a distance, of sand. The
mainland had much changed in outline, having subsided into a wearisome
series of undulating hills, varying from five to seven hundred feet in
height. The coast was, therefore, utterly void of any feature of
interest, after passing Fair Cape.

July 11.

At daylight we were again underway and steered North by East for the
purpose of ascertaining if there were any reefs to the eastward of u and
v. When Number 1 of a group next south of Cairncross bore North 43
degrees West four and a half miles the course was changed to
West-North-West to pass between the reef fronting its south side and reef
w where we had a depth of 20 fathoms; both of these we found it necessary
to enlarge on the chart. At the time of altering the course, the ship was
West-North-West two miles from the position of an island according to
chart; but as we did not see it, and as Captain King has not laid it down
upon his own authority, we may safely conclude that it either does not
exist, or that it is much out of position.

BOYDAN ISLAND.

Rounding the reef off its south extremity, we anchored in 18 fathoms, one
mile South 65 degrees West from the centre of the island before
mentioned--Number 1 of the group South of Cairncross--shortly before
noon. This Captain King supposes to be Boydan, that on which the crew of
the Charles Eaton were massacred. It was therefore determined that the
remainder of the day should be spent in examining the place, with a view
to ascertain the correctness of this supposition. The melancholy interest
of the search was to me greatly enhanced, from having seen at Sydney
young D'Oyly, one of the survivors of this ill-fated party, and son of an
Indian officer returning from furlough. Being an infant, his helplessness
excited the sympathies of an Indian woman, who