THE SLATE ISLES. 205 



Descending we embarked from a cove on the 

 N. E. side, where the boats had been ordered to meet 

 us ; between this and one on the opposite side there 

 was only a narrow neck of low land. It is singular 

 that we should not have seen any natives, or even 

 traces of them anywhere excepting at Raft Point, 

 durinof the whole of this cruise. 



Pursuing our northerly course, we reached a 

 small group of islands, named from their formation, 

 Slate Isles. Finding that all the material required 

 here for the chart could not be collected this 

 evening, I desired Mr. Helpman to go on to Breck- 

 nock harbour, to sound and examine its southern 

 shore the next morning, whilst Mr. Fitzmaurice 

 and myself remained to complete the survey here- 

 abouts.' 



April 15. — We were on the top of the northern 

 Slate Island early ; a small islet with a reef off its 

 northern extreme, bore north a mile and a half, 

 and a low sandy isle, W. J N. about 15 miles ; 

 this was a most unwelcome discovery, as it lay 

 in the track of vessels approaching Brecknock 

 Harbour, and which Captain King must have passed 

 very close to in the night without being aware 

 of it. We were fortunate in being able to intersect 

 our lines to the extremes of all the islands forminof 

 the north side of Camden Sound from this station, 

 which rendered it one of great importance. Of 

 the interior we saw even less than from Point Hall, 

 and the prospect if possible was more cheerless. 



