124 
14th.— Weighed and made sail, Cairn 
Cross Islands south forty east; sound- 
ings from twelve to thirteen fathoms. 
At three-quarters past four shortened 
sail and came-to, in twelve and a quarter 
fathoms. Mount Adolphus south by east 
quarter-south, north extreme, north- 
east and by north; weather, as usual, 
remarkably fine. 
15th. — Running through Torres 
Straits, lat. 10° 33’, long. 142° 2’ east. 
At noon, Booby Island, west by south, 
distance four and half miles. Variation 
by amplitude, forty, thirty east; sound- 
ings varying from nineteen to twenty- 
six fathoms, 
16th.—Soundings from sixteen to 
thirty-four fathoms. 
17th.—Cape Wessel west and by 
south fifty-four miles. — Four. Cape 
Wessel west twenty miles, passing the 
edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
18%4.—At noon, New-year’s Island 
north eighty-five, thirty west, distance 
ninety-two miles. 
Sunday, 19th.—Croker’s Island west, 
M‘Clue’s Island north-north-east, dis- 
tance two and half miles. 
Monday, 20th—Calm and cloudy; 
soundings from thirteen to twenty-five ; 
Smith’s Point south, forty and half west; 
Cape Croker south seventy-one, east 
ten miles; at four, forty-five, came-to 
in Port Essington, Cobourg Peninsula, 
Australia. Delighted, that after having 
sailed nearly three thousand miles along 
the coast of Australia, through a most 
difficult, dangerous, and hitherto little- 
known passage, we had arrived in safety 
at the first point of the intended new 
settlements—and we immediately pro- 
ceeded to take possession, in the manner 
following :— 
“ The north coast of New Holland, or 
Australia, contained between the meridian 
of 129° and 135° east of Greenwich, with 
all the bays, rivers, harbours, creeks, &c. 
in, and all the islands laying off, were taken. 
possession of, in the name and in the right 
of His Most Excellent Majesty George 
the Fourth, King of the United Kingdom 
of Great Britain and Ireland; and His 
Majesty’s colours hoisted at Port Essing- 
ton, on the twentieth of September, one 
thousand eight hundred and twenty-four— 
by James John Gordon Bremer, Compa- 
nion of the Most Honourable Military 
Order of the Bath, Captain of His Majes- 
ty’s ship Tamar, and Commanding Officer 
of His: Majesty’s Forces employed on the 
said coasts. 
““ His Majesty’s colonial brig Lady Nel- 
son, and the British ship Countess of 
Harcourt, in‘company.” 
Voyage to Australia, &c. 
[Sept. 1, 
2\st.—Parties on shore in every 
direction exploring the country, looking; 
for fresh water, but returned in the 
evening without success. Buried a bottle, 
containing a form of taking possession, 
coins, &c. on a low sandy pomt, ‘south 
thirty east from the ship; which was 
named, in consequence, Point Record. 
22d.—Parties surveying, others seek- 
ing water, and another sinking wells: 
no fresh water to be had. This morning 
we had a haul of fish more than suffi- 
cient for every one in the expedition. 
The only melancholy accident which 
happened since we left Port Jackson 
took place this day :—A boat belonging 
to the Countess of Harcourt, returning 
to the ship, with twelve persons on 
board, upset, but was happily discovered 
from the Tamar; and, by the great ex- 
ertions of Lieutenant Golding, eight of 
them were saved. Two soldiers of the 
3d regiment, the Captain’s steward of 
the Harcourt, and a fine lad, the son of 
a clergyman, an apprentice, were unfor- 
tunately drowned. 
For the purpose of performing the 
ceremony of taking possession, we landed 
forty marines, and as many officers as 
could be spared from the ship, on the 
highest point of land; and, having 
selected the tallest tree, we soon cleared 
those around it, and nailed a flag-staff 
to its top: and the form of taking pos- 
session being read, the Union Jack was 
displayed, under a salute of three rounds 
from the marines on shore, which was 
returned by a royal salute from the. 
ships, and three hearty cheers from the 
respective ships’ companies. It is much 
easier to conceive, than for me to ex- 
press, our feelings on this occasion :— 
to be present at the hoisting of Old 
England’s flag, for the first time, in 
such a distant part of the world, and 
where no European had ever before set 
foot, creates a sensation not readily 
described. 
Port Essington, in lat. 11° 10’, and 
long. 132° 12’, is a noble harbour,’ and 
well protected from almost “every wind 
that blows.” There is good anchorage, 
in every part, in from five to thirty 
fathoms ; and it is capable of containing 
an unlimited number of ships of: any 
size, in perfect security.. The land is 
low and uniform, which may, insome 
measure, account for the scareity of 
water: however, there is no doubt but 
plenty might be had, if there had been 
more time to search for it. Wesaw no 
natives at this place, but found very 
recent marks of them wherever we pen 
an 
