44 SAIL UPON FIRST NOKTHERN CRUIZE. 



towards the expenses of which the Imperial Govern- 

 ment were wilHng' to contrihute^ provided it were 

 made of such a size as to be available for larg'e 

 steamers and line-of-battle ships. 



In compliance with a requisition from Sir Charles 

 FitzroV; the Governor of New South Wales^ Capt. 

 Stanley^ in the Bramble^ paid a visit to Twofold Ba}^^ 

 200 miles to the southward of Sydney^ a place of 

 I'ising- importance as a harbour^ also in connexion 

 with whalino- establishments, and the extensive ad- 

 joining- pastoral district of Maneroo. The bay was 

 resurveyed^ with a view^ to test the comparative 

 merits of the two townships there^ — one founded by 

 g-overnment^ the other by private enterprise. After 

 all; I belie ve^ the advantages afforded by each of 

 the rival establishments are so equally divided^ that 

 the question still remains an open one. 



Oct, 1 If A. —After a protracted stay in Sydne}^ of 

 ver}^ nearly three months^ we were at leng'th enabled 

 to start upon our first cruize to the northward^ the 

 object of which was to make a survey of Port Curtis 

 and part of the Inshore Passage leading* up to 

 Torres Strait. The Eattlesnake and tender g'ot 

 under weig'h soon after daybreak and ran out of 

 Port Jackson to the northward with a fine S. E. 

 wind. In the evening- the Bramble parted com- 

 pany, her present destination being* Port Stephens, 



large vessel in the Australian colonies requiring repairs, which 

 cannot be effected by the process of " heaving down," will find 

 no suitable place nearer than Bombay. 



