192 FRESH WATER COVE. 



the afternoon capable of affording shelter for the 

 boats. We were agreeably surprised to find a 

 stream of water running into the head of this cove, 

 as the parched appearance of the low hills over it 

 did not lead us to expect such good luck, in remem- 

 brance of which we called it Fresh Water Cove. 

 Landing, I hastened to the south point of the cove, 

 to secure the necessary data for the chart, before the 

 surrounding objects were veiled in darkness. We 

 again appeared to be in a sterile white sandstone 

 region, where, with the exception of a few land 

 birds, there was a total absence of animal life, and 

 almost that of the vegetable, for even the gum trees 

 common in this part, were not to be seen. Our 

 view to the southward was very limited, embracing 

 only the Montgomery Islands of Captain King; 

 they consist of six small rocky islets resting on an 

 extensive coral flat, that we afterwards observed to 

 be dry at low water, and which extended to a large 

 low sandy island, lying six miles west from them ; the 

 latter was not seen by Captain King, in his distant 

 view of this neighbourhood. The eastern and 

 largest of the Montgomery Isles stands on the 

 extreme of the coral fiat ; we found it to be 70 feet 

 high, and bore S.W. by S. 7 miles from this point of 

 Fresh Water Cove. The latitude we obtained in 

 the course of the night gave a result of \5° 49' 

 south. 



April 10. — At daylight we continued pursuing 

 our S. by E. course, following the same kind of 



