only nine feet of water on it, passed a reef about
three miles from Fly Point, and half a mile from the shore; from former
shoal had three and four fathoms to the entrance of the river. At
half-past eleven A.M. entered the mouth of a river, near the centre of
Newcastle Bay; here we lost sight of Albany Island, making the distance
from it about fourteen miles; the entrance of this river is about one
mile and a half wide; on the northern half of the entrance the water is
deep, three fathoms; on the southern side there is a sandbank, nearly dry
at low-water.

From the entrance we went South-South-West five miles, when the river
narrowed to about the third of a mile, we had from six to two and a half
fathoms all the way in. From here we went into the branch of the river
that ran about south, the main river going west. The entrance to the
branch is about two cables' lengths wide, we went in a southerly
direction about six miles, when the river narrowed to forty feet; here we
landed at half-past three P.M. Leaving two hands in charge of the boat,
walked about two and a half miles, where Jackey found the papers, they
had been pulled out of the hollow trunk where he had placed them, and
were much damaged, being saturated with water. We then went half a mile
to where Jackey had camped, to look for a pair of compasses he had left;
could not find them, but found a notebook that Jackey had been drawing
sketches in; from here we went to another camp to look for the compasses,
but did not find them. At half-past five came back to the boat and camped
for the night, none of us could sleep on account of the mosquitoes and
flies, etc.

At six A.M. started down the river; at eight calm, got into the main
river, had breakfast. At half-past eight, a light breeze from the
eastward. At eleven passed within half a mile of two native canoes with
seven men in each, stood towards them, they immediately paddled away. At
one rounded Fly Point, and at half-past one got alongside the brig.

Sunday, May 13, 1849.

Fresh breeze from South-East and fine all day. At eight A.M. both vessels
hoisted the ensign half-mast. At three P.M. having put the remains of
Messrs. Wall and Niblet in a coffin, left the ship in the two boats with
nearly all the ship's crew cleaned, and pulled to the southern end of
Albany Island, landed and went up to the highest hill on that part of the
island, and on the top, a clear open place, we dug a grave and interred
the rem