bare of vegetation. The rocks are magnificent.
Paternoster rises sheer from the water to a height of more than 900
feet.

'Turning from the sea to the mainland, the coast-range at a short
distance inland forms a continuous barrier, varying in height from
3,000 to upwards of 4,000 feet. At Whitsunday Passage, through which
we passed on the afternoon of August 6th, the line of coast is broken
by Cape Conway, which, at its south-eastern extremity, rises to a
height of 1,637 feet. A chain of peaks extends northwards from Cape
Conway to Mount Drysander, and forms a fine amphitheatre of hills on
the western side of the Whitsunday Passage. On the eastern side is a
group of islands, of which Whitsunday, the largest, is eleven miles
long, while Whitsunday Passage is twenty miles in length. At its
narrowest part it is contracted to a breadth of two miles. On the
mainland side the passage opens out into the fine natural harbour of
Porte Molle. On the eastern side the line of shore is broken by the
bays of Whitsunday Island, and the channels which divide it from the
smaller islands, by which it is completely surrounded.'

Cape Gloucester was reached in about three hours after we had issued
from the Whitsunday Passage. Rounding the cape, we anchored for the
night close under the land.

_Sunday, August 7th._--The morning dawned clear and bright, and we
sent off two men in the dinghy to land on Gloucester Island. They took
the dogs for a run ashore, and I asked them to collect what they could
in the way of shells or greenery. They did not bring back much of
either, but reported that the island was very pretty and had a nice
sandy shore, with forests running down almost to the water's edge, and
quantities of parrots and parrakeets. We had church at half-past ten,
and directly after service went across to Bowen, anchoring a short
distance from H.M.S. 'Paluma.' Bowen is a small town, but the harbour
is spacious. The sea was rather rough, and we found some difficulty in
communicating with the shore; but after lunch all the party landed in
the large cutter. I was sorry to hear that Bowen is rapidly dwindling
and losing its trade; the inhabitants hope, however, to recover some
of their former vitality when once the network of railways is extended
to their little town. Later on the officers of the 'Paluma' came on
board, and seemed pleased to meet people lately from Europe; for they
have been on this station several years, surveying the B