192 Journal of Travel and Natural History 



Corasponii^nct. 



NORTH COAST OF AUSTRALIA. 



Extracts from letters from Frederick Howard, Master, R.N., (Surveying 

 Schooner "Beatrice,") in charge of the Survey of North Australia, to 

 Captain Richards, Hydrographer to the Admiralty. 



"Adam Bay, 22d yaitiiary 1866. — I have the honour to inform you that 

 the ' Beatrice ' arrived here from Sonabaija and Koepang (in Timor), on the 

 28th of December 1S65. 



" We found the exploring party, under Mr J. M'Kinlay, camped about half 

 a mile south of Escape Cliff. I beg to state that I have received a printed 

 letter from the Chief Secretary of South Australia (a copy of which I enclose), 

 instructing me to attend upon the exploring party, and in obedience to which 

 we are now full of stores and provisions for the Liverpool and Roper Rivers. 



" Adam Bay, 21st Jime 1866. — I have the honour to inform you of the 

 proceedings of the ' Beatrice ' since leaving this bay on the 27th of January 

 last. 



" Mr M'Kinlay wished us to examine minutely the coast on both sides of 

 the Coburg Isthmus ; but as I deemed the examination of the western side 

 would be attended with much danger and delay during the west monsoon, I at 

 once proceeded I'ound to Mount Norris Bay, and during the month of February 

 and beginning of March made as much progress towards its surveying as the 

 weather would allow. 



" We were in friendly communication with the natives, several of whom 

 spoke a few words of English ; one native calling himself ' Bob White,' spoke 

 it perfectly, and remembered all about Port Essington. The isthmus was well- 

 stocked with small lierds of buffalo, from which we easily procured fresh beef 

 on two occasions ; the soil appeared good and the grass adapted for cattle ; 

 this being the rainy season, however, the ground was very soft, and the low- 

 land invariably swampy ; there is, however, plenty of sloping land, the highest 

 points of which we made to exceed 200 feet in height. The best looking spot 

 for a settlement appeared to be east of Copeland Island, where the land slopes 

 down to the beach, and deep water runs well into the beach, the land above 

 rising to a height of over 150 feet. The roadstead would be protected from all 

 winds but north, and during the south-east monsoon the water would be quite 

 smooth. 



" During our stay a couple of Malay proas made their appearance in the 

 bay, and put up their trepang works at Copeland Sound, our own headquarters. 

 They were manned by over 100 men and had 22 fishing canoes, in most of 

 which we observed one or two natives ; they seem to work well for the Malays, 

 and many a]:)pear to speak and understand the Malay language. The proas 

 hoisted Dutch colours as they a])proached, and we found them very quiet and 

 inoffensive people ; they did not interfere %\ith us in the least. We were able 

 to survey the coast-line of the bay from Cape Croker round to Point Brogden, &c. 



" As Mr M'Kinlay wished us to be at the Liverpool River by the 25th of 

 March, we left Mountnorris Bay on the lOth, with fine weather and very light 

 north-westerly winds, and made a track survey round to the Liverpool River, 

 arriving there on the 25th. Our usual mode of ])roceeding was to move the 

 schooner along (hiring the afternoon, when we generally had a ])rec7.c, and work 

 tlie boats during tlie forenoon. 'I"he liays south of tlie Goulburn Islands we 

 found shoal ; but the King River, east of Point Turner, forms a small but good 



