coil A L BANK. 325 



from E.N.E. After passing Breaksea Spit, a 

 westerly current was felt of nearly a knot an hour, 

 which was also found to be the case in June, 1841. 

 June 21.- The morning was bright and sunny, a 

 happy change after several days of thick, rainy, and 

 boisterous weather. The remarkable features in 

 this part of the coast, consisting of Round Hill,* 

 Peaked Hill, and Mount Larcom, stood out in bold 

 relief against the pure blue of an Australian sky. 

 In the evening steering N.W. by W. we passed over 

 a coral bank three miles wide, the least water on 

 which was nine fathoms. From this depth we pro- 

 cured a specimen of living coral. This bank w^as 

 again crossed in June, 1841, a mile and a half fur- 

 ther to the S. W., when the depth was only seven 

 fathoms. It lies eight miles S.S.W. from a low islet, 

 four miles from which in a W.S.W. direction is a 

 coral patch, nearly dry. This islet, in lat. 23° 34' S. 

 to which we gave the name of Mast Head, forms 

 the south western of a group fronting Cape Capricorn. 

 The latter has a hump on its extreme, resembling 

 a haycock, and by our observationsf is in latitude 



* This hill was seen 35 miles from the Beagle's poop, and is 

 a good guide for Bustard Bay. Peaked Hill we found to be 2000 

 feet high, and Mount Larcom 1 800. They form admirable points 

 for fixing the position of the groups of isles fronting this part of 

 the coast. 



i- Hummock Island is alike in error with Cape Capricorn, 

 but all the distant points agree with the Beagle's observation. 



