r this channel; and
also that the weather when he passed through was thick and cloudy. This
error therefore, when he was unassisted by an observation for his
latitude in a place where the tide sets at the rate of three or four
knots, did not appear at all improbable; and as my conjectures by
comparing our respective plans were soon afterwards confirmed, we hauled
in for the extremity of the land in sight.

The Strait to the eastward of Point Dale I have named after my friend
Robert Brown, Esquire, the profound botanist of that voyage.

In the evening we anchored about three miles from a low rocky island;
beyond which is an opening like a rivulet, but it was so inconsiderable
in appearance that I was not induced to examine it farther.

July 30.

The next evening we anchored at the bottom of a bay and inside of a group
of islands which appear to be the Crocodils Eylandts of the old charts.
The bay was called after the late Viscount Castlereagh, then Secretary of
State for the Foreign Department. Two or three small openings that were
noticed at the bottom of the bay are probably the embouchures of as many
rivulets. This part of the country is low and of uninteresting aspect;
dwarf timber appears to pervade the summits of the land near the coast,
and of so level an outline that it bears a strong resemblance to a
clipped hedge.

July 31.

At daylight we were enveloped in a dense fog which nearly concealed the
land; but on weighing two conspicuous points were set, by which I was
enabled to connect my survey. Soon afterwards the fog spread so thickly
over us that the land was entirely concealed; and as the water was shoal
we were obliged to anchor until the fog cleared off, when we again got
under weigh and ascertained the form of the south-west corner of the bay;
it is of very shoal approach: our anchorage at night was not more than
four miles and a half to the north-east of that of the evening before.

1819. August 1.

The next day we attempted to steer to sea between the islands but our
course was interrupted by a reef which connected the islets on either
side of us; being thus embayed, we were obliged to anchor, but as the
wind was light no danger was anticipated. Mr. Roe was sent in a boat to
sound about our anchorage: on his return he reported the water to be of
tolerably even depth, excepting to the southward where there was a spit,
on which the least water was four and three quarters fathoms, beyond
which it