112 CAPE MELVILLE. 



remarkable gTanitic promontory 5 here the Great 

 Barrier Reef closely approaches the coast^ being" 

 distant only ten miles, and visible from the ship. 

 A few miles to the south some pine-trees were seen 

 on the ridg*es, as had previously been noticed by Cun- 

 ning*ham, during' King''s Yoyage. They appeared 

 to be the same kind as that formerly alluded to at the 

 Percv Isles, in which case this useful tree has a 

 range on the north-east coast of oOO miles of 

 latitude, beino; found as far south as Port Bowen. 



Next day we shifted our berth to a more secure 

 anchorag'e under the neighbouring* Pipon Islets, 

 where the Bramble joined us in the evening*. The 

 schooner had been sent on in advance of the ship 

 to the northward nearly a month before, in order to 

 be at the head of Princess Charlotte's Bay durino;- 

 the first Aveek in Aug'ust, according to an arrang*e- 

 ment made by Captain Stanley with Mr. Kennedy, 

 but no signs of the overland expedition were met 

 with during' ten days spent at the rendezvous.* 



While at this anchorage, the Bramble, being in 

 want of water, filled up at a small stream, inside of 

 Cape Melville, assisted by some of our boats and 

 people. The party so employed was one day 

 attacked by a number of natives, but, the usual 

 precaution of having sentries posted and a guard 



* We afterwards learned that it was not until the middle of 

 October (or two months afterwards) that Kennedy's party 

 reached the latitude of Princess Charlotte Bay, at a considerable 

 distance too, from the coast 



