to be still unknown.

A sandhill on the south-east end of the North Isle our observations
placed in latitude 19 degrees 53 minutes 48 seconds South, and longitude
3 degrees 09 minutes 10 seconds East of Swan River; variation 1 degree 0
minutes westerly. The tide ran between the island and the shore nearly
two knots an hour; the flood stream came from the north-west; and the
rise at springs was 18 feet, the time of high-water being 11 o'clock.

SEARCH FOR WATER.

A fruitless attempt was made to procure water on this island, by digging;
and as we were now reduced to a supply for only ten days, it became
necessary that we should immediately proceed to Timor in search of some.
This was much to be regretted at the present moment, as the coast to the
east had never been seen, and therefore possessed the charm of being a
new part of the continent. We consoled ourselves for not being able to
visit it by the reflection that it would hold out some inducement for us
to return to this land of sterility.

On Turtle Island was found a broken jar, probably left by some of the
Macassar people, who are occasionally blown in upon this part of the
coast.

July 14.

The unusual fogs that had prevailed for three days dispersing, allowed us
to leave our anchorage under the south-east side of North Turtle Isle,
and soon after dark we occupied another near Bedout Island, having
crossed some rocky ledges of seven fathoms on the way. When the Beagle
was midway between these islands, they were both visible from the
masthead. In the night, and during the early part of next day, it blew
strong from south-east, causing a high-topping sea. Time being precious,
we could not wait for a quiet day to land on Bedout; its position was
therefore determined by observations with the sea horizon, and differs
very materially from that given by the French.

We weighed early in the afternoon of the 15th, and passed round the
north-west end of Bedout, where there is much uneven ground with
ripplings. We carried soundings until abreast of the north end of Rowley
Shoals and twenty-five miles from their inner side, in from 45 to 154
fathoms. These shoals, like the Abrolhos, appear to stand on the outer
edge of a bank projecting off this portion of the coast, as we did not
get bottom after leaving their parallel.

On the 20th, in the afternoon, we passed, having no soundings with 200
fathoms, along the western side of Scott's Reef, at the distance of three
m