54:0 • PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



and helping to cut them out. We got back to the lugger at dark, 

 tired and hungry, and favorably impressed with Melville Island 

 so far. 



In the morning a strong south-east wind was blowing. We in- 

 tended to land again and make inland to some low hills which could be 

 seen from the lugger, but this was rendered impossible by the heavy 

 surf which was breaking on the beach, so we hoisted sail and bore 

 away along the coast to the westward. The sea was too rough for us 

 to attempt entering Medina Inlet, the southern end of Apsley Strait, 

 running between Melville and Bathurst Islands, and we pitched and 

 tossed across 8hoal Bay at a spanking pace ; came fairly close into the 

 shore at an unnamed point on Bathurst Island, and under considerable 

 difficulties had a panoramic view of the southern coast of this island. 



As we speeded towards Cape Fourcroy there were low thicklj/ 

 wooded hills or undulations of the plateau, with white and pink 

 cliffs below, facing the sea ; these are not high, and in many places 

 a band of vegetation shows between the top and bottom of them ; then 

 some large sand dunes were passed and the sandy point of Cape Four- 

 croy rounded. The three blackboys were in the bow on the look-out 

 and ready to help in any way. Yells of laughter came from them every 

 time they received an extra drenching from the flying spray, and they 

 were keenly interested in the unknown land we were passing. Carlos 

 steered, Peter and Pedro crouched by the stays, and Mr. Brown and T 

 clung in the lee of the little skylight. Things were better as soon as 

 we got fairly round the cape on to the northward course, as the land 

 gave us some shelter. 



High red clif?s faced the western shore, and in the depressions 

 close to the shore very large trees were seen, probably banyan trees 

 and tamarinds. Tamarind trees of great size are seen here and there all 

 along the coast of the mainland ; they are not indigenous, and the seeds 

 must have come from the Maccassa men, who, from the dim past, have 

 sailed down from the Celebes to North Australia (" Marega," they call 

 it) regularly with the north-west monsoon, returning with the south- 

 east monsoon, fishing for beche-de-mer, or trepang, as it is generally 

 called. 



We felt assured that at any rate there were some patches of rich, 

 soil on Bathurst Island. Cliffs alternated with low sandy beaches, 

 and at about seven miles north of Cape Fourcroy we saw, on rounding 

 a large sandhill, a small sheltered bay, where we anchored at 3.30 p.m., 

 after the quickest run we had ever got out of the old Venture. 



Melville and Bathurst Islands lie, roughly, between the 11th and 

 12th parallels of south latitude, and in the eastern longitude from about 

 129° 55' to about 131° 40'. They are separated by Apsley Strait, an 

 arm of the sea about 55 miles long, varying in width from about five 

 miles at St. Asaph Bay, at the north-western end, to one mile at Medina 

 Inlet, the south-eastern entrance. Bathurst Island — -the western one- 

 is roughly triangular in shape, the base along the south coast being 

 about 50 miles, and the perpendicular distance from Point Brace, at' 



