122 COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY. 



watering*^ both as affording- the larg*est supply^ and 

 the greatest facihties for obtaining- it. the ship Avas 

 according-ly removed to an anchorag-e off the 

 south part of the bay^ and moored^ being* in the 

 streno-th of the tide runninof round Hobumo Island. 



Shortly after our arrival at Cape York^ the two 

 sets of old wells^ dug- by the Fl}"^ were cleared out^ 

 and we completed water to seventy-five tons. These 

 wells are situated immediately behind the sandy 

 beach, — they are merely pits into which the fresh 

 water^ with which the g-round had become saturated 

 during' the rainy season^ oozes through the sand^ 

 havino' undero-one a kind of filtration. At times a 

 little surf gets up on the shore^ but never, during 

 our stay of three weeks^ was it sufficient to inter- 

 rupt the watering. 



AVhile the ship remained at Cape Yoi^k^ the 

 Bramble^ -^^""p? piiiiiace^ and our second cutter^ were 

 engaged^ under their respective officers^ in the survey 

 of Endeavour Strait and the Prince of Wales 

 Channel^ which they finished before we left^ thus 

 completing the survey of the Inner Houte between 

 Dunk and Booby Islands. Previous to leaving- for 

 that purpose^ the pinnace had been sent to Booby 

 Island^ for letters in the ^^post office'^ there^ and 

 some of us had the good fortune to receive commu- 

 nications from our friends in Sydney, which had 

 been left by vessels passing- through. Most passing- 

 vessels heave-to off the island for an hour^ the 

 dang-ers of Torres Strait having* been passed^ and 



