BY F. C. URQUHART. 43^ 



soundings marked down are few and far between. Hence the 

 explorations I am now to describe were carried out in practically 

 unknown waters and great caution was necessary. 



Leaving the Moravian Mission Station, Batavia River, on 

 the mornnig of the 17th December, 189o, the Alhatross steamed 

 south about 40 miles, arriving oft' Duyfhen Point, a fairly bold 

 headland for this coast, about noon. Our navigator, Captain 

 George Kerr, decided that probably a deep channel would be 

 found further south, so we steamed on a southerly course, 

 opening out as we went the fine bay existing between Duyfhen 

 Point and Pera Head, which Mr. Douglas named " Albatross 

 Bay," after the stout little boat that for many years has done 

 good public service in Torres Straits. In about twelve miles we 

 headed in for the southern shore of the bay, and soon the lead- 

 man announced " four fathoms," and we saw ahead of us and 

 apparently about three miles apart the mouths of two large 

 rivers. The whaleboat was now lowered, and with a crew of 

 five men I went ahead of the steamer taking soundings. The 

 water shoaled to three fathoms and remained at that till we 

 neared the spot marked on the plan " Fresh water lagoon," 

 where close inshore I found a five-fathom channel about 200 

 yards wide, deepening to six and seven fathoms, as the southern 

 head of the river we were approacliing began to broaden on the 

 bow. This head Mr. Douglas named Point Urquhart, and it so 

 appears on the plan. As the Alhatr<jsH rounded this point the 

 water deepened to nine fathoms, which varying to ten, w^e carried 

 up about two miles, when we returned to the point and anchored 

 for the night, Mr. Douglas bestowing the name of Embley on 

 the river, which here at its mouth is quite half a mile wide, 

 carrying its width well up the first reach of five miles and 

 presenting a very fine appearance. Next morning at sunrise, we 

 were underweigh at half speed, passing the creek marked as 

 Mosquito Creek on the plan, and of all the rivers I have entered 

 on the Queensland coast none have given me such an impression 

 of beauty as this unknown and unhonoured Embley. Eight 

 fathoms of water iinder our keel ; instead of the usual monotonous 

 mangrove mud flats, fine high banks with tall forest timber to 

 the very edge, and the broad river dotted here and there with 

 natives in their bark canoes ; with the level sun of early morning 



