; the whole
width of the stream being still more than half a mile, nearly the same as
at the entrance. Three miles above the sleeping place the water began to
increase in breadth, and was 2 fathoms deep; and advancing further, it
took a direction more southward, and to our very agreeable surprise,
brought us to the head of Port Curtis; forming thus a channel of
communication from Keppel Bay, and cutting off Cape Capricorn with a
piece of land twenty-five miles in length, from the continent.

I landed on the eastern shore, nearly opposite to the reddish cliffs
which had been my uppermost station from Port Curtis, and set

Broad Mount in Keppel Bay at N. 60 deg. 45' W.
Mount Larcom, S. 16 15 W.

Having found one communication, we rowed up the western branch near the
reddish cliffs, hoping to get back to Keppel Bay by a second new passage;
but after going two miles, with a diminishing depth from 4 fathoms to
three feet, we were stopped by mangroves, and obliged to return to the
main stream.

The tide was half ebbed when we came to the shallowest part of the
communicating channel; and it was with much difficulty that the boat
could be got over. A space here of about two miles in length, appears to
be dry, or very nearly so, at low water; but it is possible that some
small channel may exist amongst the mangroves, of sufficient depth for a
boat to pass at all times of tide.

We reached the entrance of the eastern arm from Keppel Bay, with the last
of the ebb; and took the flood to go up the southern branch. The depth of
water was generally 3 fathoms, on the eastern side, and the width nearly
half a mile. This continued three miles up, when a division took place;
in the smallest, which ran southward, we got one mile, and up the other,
leading south-westward, two miles; when both were found to terminate in
shallows amongst the mangroves. It was then dusk; and there being no
possibility of landing, the boat was made fast to a mangrove bush till
high water, and with the returning ebb, we got on board the ship at
eleven o'clock.

The Lady Nelson had returned from the hummocky island, without taking any
turtle. No good anchorage was found, nor was there either wood or water
upon the island, worth the attention of a ship. Mr. Murray ascended the
highest of the hummocks with a compass, but did not see any lands in the
offing further out than the Keppel Isles.

SATURDAY 14 AUGUST 1802

I left the ship agai