anese Commandant.
Character of the Timorees.
Dutch settlement in New Guinea.
Leave Coepang.
Island of Rottee.
Tykal Inlet.
Inhabitants of Polo Douw.

SAIL FROM SWAN RIVER.

The improved state of the colony enabling us to get supplies, it was
resolved that we should return to the North-west coast, examining on the
way, Houtman's Abrolhos, a coral group that had very rarely been visited,
since the Dutch ships were lost on them, one 120 and the other 220 years
ago, and of which next to nothing was known.

Not being able to persuade Miago to accompany us, he being too much
engaged with his new wife, we enlisted the services of a native youth who
generally went by the name of Tom, and left Gage Roads on the afternoon
of April 4th.

Off the west end of Rottnest a sail was seen, which we afterwards found,
to our mortification, was H.M.S. Britomart, from Port Essington. We had
another fruitless search for the bank reported to the northward of
Rottnest. Steering North-North-West from the west end of it, the
soundings increased gradually to 35 fathoms, till passing Cape
Leschenault at the distance of twenty-two miles; but afterwards, no
bottom with 50 fathoms, till reaching the latitude of 31 degrees 7
minutes South, where the coast projecting, brought us again within twenty
miles of it, and into a depth of 45 fathoms. We continued in soundings
till in latitude 30 degrees 36 minutes South, varying from 26 to 98
fathoms, seventeen miles from the land with the former, and twenty-five
with the latter depth, which shows the extent and steepness of the bank
of soundings fronting the coast, between the parallels I have mentioned.

THE ABROLHOS GROUP.

April 6.

There was unusual weather last night, overcast with a squally westerly
wind. Just laying our course North-North-West, at noon we were in
latitude 29 degrees 11 minutes South, on the position assigned to a reef
called the Turtle Dove. From the masthead I could see nothing indicating
a shoal. Captain King passed near this position, and also remarks not
seeing it. The Colonial schooner Champion, in beating to the southward,
has passed over and near its assigned position, and I think we may fairly
infer that there is no such reef as the Turtle Dove, and that probably it
originated from the south end of the Abrolhos reef, ten miles
North-North-West of it, being seen. We found 29 fathoms on this supposed
shoal, with 35, twelve miles South by East of it, and 127, twenty-eig