54:2 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 



nests. We then rowed along the shore south-eastward for a short dis- 

 tance and landed at another very similar place — the rocks were the 

 .same — and at a short distance back from the beach we found some 

 native wells and the recent tracks of natives. On the top of a flat 

 roclc there were two small circles formed by loose stones ; quail were 

 abundant on this place. 



The night was fine and calm, but early in the morning a strong 

 blow from the south-east made the sea so rough that we were unable 

 to land until after mid-day. We then pulled up a creek to the north of 

 the sheltering point, and found it to be an inlet deep enough for small 

 craft, to a small harbor about a mile east and west by three-quarters 

 of a mile north and south ; it is not shown on the chart, and we named 

 it " Vernon Boat Harbor." There is a sandy beach on the north side 

 and banks of clay and rock on the south ; the surrounding country is 

 flat and well timbeied. Sailed northward again ; made about two 

 miles towards Cape Helvetius, when the wind failed, and we anchored for 

 the night. At sunrise, with a fresh wind, we passed the low and sandy 

 Cape Helvetius, with red cliffs running eastward from it ; kept on this 

 course to near Cleft Island, and then stood in to Gordon Bay and tacked 

 through the entrance to Port Hurd, where there was deep water, about 

 a quarter of a mile Avide. On the south side there was a sandy beach 

 backed by large casuarinas and paper-bark trees, and two native canoes 

 lying on the beach, making a fine picture. On the north side patches 

 of mudd}'' beach and some of the tallest mangroves I have seen — they 

 must have been 50ft. high. The port is large and mangrove-lined. 

 We stood on towards a low hill ahead, named by King " Mount Hurd," 

 but the water shoaled so rapidly that we were nearly aground before 

 we could work the lugger round. We returned to the entrance, dropped 

 anchor near the beach just inside the port, and were soon ashore ex- 

 amining the canoes. They were 21ft. and 18ft. long, respectively, 

 each made of a single sheet of bark, the ends being sewn up and caulked 

 with clay, and each contained two roughly made paddles and a large 

 shell, evidently used as bailers. There were a few barbed fishing spears 

 on the beach near by, and some bark rain covers. A native rain cover 

 is simply a piece of bark about 5ft. long and 2ft. wide doubled carefully 

 across the middle, and so gives some protection to the head and shoulders 

 Two of the paddles and one of the bailers were taken, and in order to 

 square matters with the owners we left a stock of tobacco in a bottle, 

 some clay pipes, and some red Turkey twill. Our boys were confident 

 that Bathurst islanders were close about somewhere, probably watching 

 us all the time. I hope that when they came to balance up the exchange 

 was considered a fair one. We then pulled across to the north side, 

 landed on some rocks, and found them to be composed of coralline 

 limestone, with recent shells embedded. Dugong and turtle were seen 

 near the lugger that evening, and Bubs commenced the manufacture 

 of a turtle spear. 



Under a light breeze next morning we made slow progress through 

 Gordon Bay, and did not pass Cleft Island until about 2 p.m. ; it is 

 very small and rocky, about lOft. high, and covered with trees and 



