itherto unknown in Australia. We may then with justice
congratulate ourselves on the importance of the discovery of the
Adelaide.

ADAM BAY.

The bay into which it flows, named after Sir Charles Adam, is six miles
deep and ten broad at the entrance, where there are 9 fathoms. The shores
gradually approach each other, and at the head, where it receives the
waters of the Adelaide, the width is only one mile.

The mouth of the river is fronted with shoals that extend out five miles;
the channel between them is narrow, 3 and 4 fathoms deep, and lies on the
western side of the bay. A guide for the mouth of it is the east entrance
point of the river, bearing South 40 degrees East.

The generally discoloured state of the water prevents the shoals from
being seen, as well as the coral reefs extending from half to three
quarters of a mile off the east side of the bay, where there is excellent
anchorage. Sea and land breezes prevailed; the former blowing from the
North-West which gave it the advantage of being of easy access either
from the westward through Clarence Strait, or from the eastward through
that of Dundas. The spring tides sometimes rise 18 feet, when the time of
high-water is six o'clock. The stream set North-East and North-West from
half to one knot, changing to the latter direction two and a half hours
after high-water. Our observations place Escape Cliffs (too remarkable
and conspicuous to be overlooked, and which ships should anchor abreast
of) in latitude 12 degrees 8 1/2 minutes South and longitude 0 degrees 15
minutes West of Port Essington. The variation of the compass was 2
degrees easterly. I was able at this anchorage, by a bearing of a distant
point, to ascertain the local attraction in the ship, which in no
instance exceeded 1 degree, being the amount we had found at Plymouth,
previous to our departure from England. Our deeply interesting researches
on the south side of Clarence Strait, leading to so important a
discovery, were now concluded.

EXAMINE MELVILLE ISLAND.

The success which had rewarded our efforts, made us wish to cling to the
spot, and it was therefore almost with regret that we found ourselves
leaving to examine the southern shores of Melville Island, where we
anchored two miles from the beach, and fifteen within the west entrance
of the strait. A quarter of a mile off the sandy flat, extending some
distance from the shore, there was one fathom of water, being a very
gradual decrea