avigation, a long detached reef lying
three miles from the Cape, and a small one two miles from the North
Vernon Isle.* The tide hurried the Beagle past between these reefs with
some rapidity, the soundings at the time being 19 fathoms.

(*Footnote. These isles, three in number, lying quite in the centre of
the western entrance of the Strait, are fringed with extensive coral
reefs. There are, however, deep passages between them.)

Having cleared Clarence Strait, and found it to be perfectly navigable
with common precaution (which in a slight degree enhanced the value of
the discovery of the Adelaide) our course was directed for a bay to the
southward, which Captain King had not examined. A very refreshing cool
north-westerly seabreeze* had just succeeded a short calm. Passing four
miles from the western extremity of the Vernon Isles, we had irregular
soundings of ten and seven fathoms. The ripplings and discoloured water
are a warning that they should be approached with caution on this side.

(*Footnote. The seabreeze prevailing from the westward through Clarence
Strait, the passage to Port Essington from the westward, during the
easterly monsoon, might be more easily made by passing through it,
instead of working along the north side of Melville Island.)

The mouth of a considerable inlet came in sight at the head of a bay as
we advanced towards it, steering South by East. This opening began to
appear of consequence as we drew near, although the singularly gradual
decrease in the soundings, on a sandy bottom materially diminished the
probability of its being the mouth of a river. Still, when we anchored as
near as we could approach, there remained a hope of its being so.

HOPE INLET. SHOAL BAY.

September 8.

Early in the morning Mr. Forsyth and myself started to explore the
opening. We soon discovered that it was nothing more than a shallow creek
at low-water. The tide here rising twenty feet, gave it the important
appearance it had yesterday evening. A tall clump of naked trees was
conspicuous at the east entrance point, towering above the insipid
mangrove shore. We gave it the name of Hope Inlet, to commemorate the
feelings it excited on its first discovery. From the south point of
Clarence Strait it is distant eleven miles, and the bay in which it lies,
from the shallow-water at the head of it, was called Shoal Bay.

The boat being provisioned for four days, we pushed on to explore another
opening above fif