FITZROY ISLAND. 341 



that, from its present position, as laid down in the 

 chart, being supposed to be near the Palm Islands, 

 it was apt to create an unpleasant state of anxiety 

 in the mind of those navigating these waters during 

 thick weather or at night. 



From noon we steered N.N.W., and at 5, p.m. 

 Dunk Island bore S.W. eight miles distant; our 

 soundings varying, during that period, from thirteen 

 to fifteen fathoms. During the day we had several 

 opportunities of satisfactorily testing the accuracy 

 of Captain King's chart. While passing Barnard's 

 Group, soon after dark, we found a current setting 

 AV.N.W.nearly a mile an hour, a rate at which it kept 

 during the whole night, but in a N.N.W. direction. 

 During the day we had a light breeze from S.S.E., 

 which shifted to W.S.W. during the night. Nu- 

 merous native fires were observed burning on 

 the shore during the first watch, at the foot of the 

 Bellendenker hills, remarkable mountains of consi- 

 derable altitude. 



July 2. — Soon after midnight we were abreast 

 of Frankland Group, and at 7j a.m. passed three 

 miles to the eastward of Fitzroy Island, where our 

 soundings increased to seventeen fathoms, with a 

 current running upwards of a mile an hour to the 

 N.W., an increased velocity, which may be ac- 

 counted for by the proximity of the reefs to a pro- 

 jection of the coast forming Cape Grafton. 1 must 

 not, however, pass an island which like Fitzroy, 

 carried in its name a pleasing association to many 



