party of the sailors. They had been met with near Cape Keppel, and
at first menaced our people with their spears; but finding them inclined
to be friendly, laid aside their arms, and accompanied the sailors to the
ship in a good-natured manner. A master's mate and a seaman were,
however, missing, and nothing was heard of them all night.

MONDAY 16 AUGUST 1802

At daylight, two guns were fired and an officer was sent up the small
inlet under Sea Hill; whilst I took a boat round to Cape Keppel, in the
double view of searching for the absentees and obtaining a set of
bearings from the top of the cape. This station afforded me a better view
of the Keppel Isles than any former one; and to the northward of them
were two high peaks on the main land, nearly as far distant as Cape
Manifold.

Amongst the number of bearings taken, those most essential to the
connection of the survey were as under.

Cape Capricorn, outer hummock, S. 79 deg. 30' E.
Mount Larcom, S. 6 10 E.
The ship at anchor, S. 59 50 W.
Highest peak near Cape Manifold, N. 25 10 W.
Keppel Isles, outermost, called first lump, N. 0 45 E.
Hummocky Island, N. 54 deg. 35' to 61 40 E.

On my return to the ship, the master's mate and seaman were on board. The
officer had very incautiously strayed away from his party, after natives
had been seen; and at sunset, when he should have been at the beach, he
and the man he had taken with him were entangled in a muddy swamp amongst
mangroves, several miles distant; in which uncomfortable situation, and
persecuted by clouds of musketoes, they passed the night. Next morning
they got out of the swamp; but fell in with about twenty-five Indians,
who surrounded and took them to a fire place. A couple of ducks were
broiled; and after the wanderers had satisfied their hunger, and
undergone a personal examination, they were conducted back to the ship in
safety. Some of the gentlemen went to meet the natives with presents, and
an interview took place, highly satisfactory to both parties; the Indians
then returned to the woods, and our people were brought on board.

TUESDAY 17 AUGUST 1802

The anchor was weighed at daylight of the 17th, but the wind and tide
being unfavourable, it took the whole day to get into the offing; at dusk
we came to, in 9 fathoms, mud and sand, having the centre of the hummocky
island bearing S. 72 deg