over the channel. A smoke was seen upon the smaller
island among the trees for a few minutes, but no people made their
appearance as we passed by. The natives of this part of the coast were
seen probably by Tasman; for in Mr. Dalrymple's Papua the following
paragraph is found: "In latitude 13 degrees 8 minutes and longitude 146
degrees 18 minutes 6 seconds East (probably 129 1/2 degrees East of
Greenwich, and answering to this part) the people are bad and wicked,
shooting at the Dutch with arrows without provocation, when they were
coming on shore. It is here very populous."

On arriving abreast of the peaked hill above-mentioned, a considerable
shoal, connected with the mainland, appeared to separate us from it; in
crossing it we had three fathoms, and as soon as we passed over it the
water deepened instantly to thirteen fathoms. We then bore up and steered
through the channel between the islands and the main, which was both
narrow and deep towards Channel Point; close to which we had sixteen
fathoms, and then hauled up round Peron's South Island.

The land from Channel Point trends to the South-South-East, and forms a
tolerably deep bight of low, sandy land, terminated by Cliff Head, a high
rocky projection well furnished with trees. In this bay there is probably
an opening, but it is small and lined with mangroves. After passing
Channel Point the depth rapidly decreased, and as we crossed a shoal
which runs off from the south-east end of Peron's South Island and
extends deeply into the bay, we carried from two and three-quarters to
three and a half fathoms. On clearing it we steered South-South-West, and
after dark anchored in five fathoms, mud, Cliff Head bearing South 71
degrees East (Magnetic.)

The bay between the two projections received the name of Anson Bay, after
the noble family of that name. During the night we had a remarkable
copious fall of dew.

September 3.

The next day at eleven o'clock we were off Cape Ford: from this cape the
coast trends in a South 48 degrees West direction for five miles to a low
projecting point, near the extremity of which a clump of trees,
remarkable for their rounded form and singular appearance, was
conspicuous: hence it extends South 5 1/2 degrees West to a distant
point; the intervening coast being of moderate height and thickly wooded
to the brink of a range of dark red cliffs, two miles in length, rising
immediately from the beach; upon which eight natives and a ch