SURVEY ENTRANCE OF PORT JACKSON. 43 



reported to be quite unfit for surveying* purposes^ 

 was sold to her former owner 5 and the Bramble 

 was re-commissioned as tender to the E^attlesnake^ 

 and continued under the command of Lieut. Yule. 

 Ten additio?ial men were entered on board^ increas- 

 ing- our complement to 190 officers and men^ of 

 whom 36 were placed on board the schooner. After 

 a thorough refit^ both vessels were at leng-th quite 

 ready for sea. 



MeauAvhile a minute survey was made by Lieu- 

 tenants Dayman and Simpson of the inner entrance 

 to Port Jackson^ where a reef^ called the Sow and 

 Pig's^ (disting'uished by a beacon and a lig-ht vessel^) 

 in the middle of the passage^ leaves only a narrow 

 available channel on either side. The exact boun- 

 daries of them^ with the depth of water^ were to 

 be determined^ especiall}^ to ascertain whether a 

 line-of-battle ship^ with her full armament^ could 

 pass into the harbour. The shoalest part of the 

 west channel was found to have 21 feet^ and of the 

 east 24 feet at low water (the rise and fall of tide 

 being" from 5 to 8 feet) ] consequently^ at hig*h 

 water there would be room for a three-decker to 

 enter.* This work was in connexion with a pro- 

 posed dry dockf on Cockatoo Island; above Sydney, 



* It was found by comparison with Lieut. Roe's survey, made 

 25 years before, that the inner edge of the shoal had extended 

 considerably to the southw'ard. 



t This has for several years been under construction ; its 

 importance will appear more evident, when it is considered that a 



