PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION E. 543 



l)usjies. The mainland in the vicinity shows red and Avhite cUffs, the 

 highest point of them being about 601t. above high-water mark, then a 

 sandy beach northward and reddish cUfEs beyond. Large banyan 

 trees were seen near the beach, and at the back the trees seemed very 

 high. In the afternoon we anchored almost two miles south of Rocky 

 Point ; landed and walked northward along the coast ; southward a 

 creek or inlet running inland could be seen. This part of the coast is 

 rocky and dangerous, the water is shallow, and the sunken rocks are 

 doubly dangerous on account of the long seaweed growing nearly 

 everywhere. Low cliffs face the sea here ; good soil is exposed in them, 

 in some places showing 10ft. deep. The country at the back is open 

 forest — woolly-butt, stringybark, casuarina, ironwood, and other trees, 

 fan and fern palms. This evening Carlos got us what Captain King 

 would have called '' a good mess of fish." He uses a small circular net 

 weighted round the circumference. This he carries over his arm and 

 shoulder, walks cautiously along in the water, and then with a sudden 

 twist throws it out so adroitly that it alights flat on the water like a 

 circular disk. When rowing back to the lugger, Loman speared a 

 very large schnapper, but as there was no barb on the spear the fish 

 got away. I have not mentioned that at this time of the year the 

 natives burn the dry grass, and therefore columns of smoke are alwavs 

 in view in one direction or another. On this particular evening the 

 amount of smoke hanging about had a peculiar effect on the sunset ; 

 the sun looked like a huge dim, dull, red ball, and the sea was tinged 

 a beautiful shade of puiple. 



Next morning we sailed early and stood well out to sea to avoid 

 the rocks and reefs off Rocky Point, drawing into the coast again 

 near Caution Point ; then passing Deception Point and Brace Point, 

 the northern end of Bathurst Island, sandy beaches, with well- 

 wooded country at the back, are seen. Passing Brace Point M-e ran 

 over a shoal, and in places had only 8ft. of water in our sound- 

 ings. Here we saw some immense stingrays, also some turtles and a 

 large school of soles or flounders : then we ran into St. Asaph Bay, 

 the entrance to Apsley Strait, which at Brace Point is about five miles 

 wide. Our course was then south-eastward, and we were soon opposite 

 the two points of Luxmore Head— fairly high clifi's, with tall timber 

 on top. The strait here is three miles wide and the view ahead was 

 picturesque and interesting, with wooded points on both sides, and 

 Harris Island standing up boldly in the middle. The wind failed, 

 and at sundown we anchored in Port Cockburn in 10 fathoms of 

 water. 



Early next morning we stood down the strait, tacked close to 

 Harris Island and ran into King's Cove on the Melville Island side, 

 Oarden Point on the north, and Barlow Point (named after Captain 

 Barlow, the first commandant of the fort) on the south. At tliis point 

 we landed on some rocks, with mangroves growing between, and were 

 soon on the plateau, only about 20ft. above the sea. Nothing v/as 

 to be seen but the ordinary open forest country. I may mention that 

 in this country (I mean North Australia generally) there is no under- 



