3()G CORRECT POSITION OF REEFS. 



This error we found to extend also to reefs y 

 and z. X is one of the oval-shaped reefs, with the 

 singular white patch of dead coral on its northern 

 extremity which I have before spoken of. Z^is simi- 

 larly marked, and dries at last quarter ebb, while 

 the S. E, part of y is never covered, a few man- 

 groves growing on it. When abreast of x, we saw 

 from deck the curious flat-topped hill on the largest 

 York island, Mount Adolphus, and when over the 

 centre of reef 2, it bore N. 23|^° W. We now 

 steered to the westward between reefs, x and y, and 

 afterwards N. N. W. for Mount Adolphus. Be- 

 tween the Brothers and Albany Islands the depth 

 was 10 fathoms ; these are both black rocky lumps, 

 particularly the latter, the outer being a mere 



must not, from these corrections, (few, when we consider the 

 extent of the survey,) be led to imagine that our object is 

 to pick out errors in the surveys of others ; but from being in 

 a larger and better appointed vessel, our opportunities of exami- 

 nation were necessarily greater than those afforded to Captain 

 King, who was always most anxious to detect errors in his 

 own charts. Without dwelling on the fact that the result of 

 our examination afforded us the satisfaction of restoring parts 

 of the chart, before erroneously corrected, to his original con- 

 struction, we would venture to hope that, while desirous as much 

 as possible to perfect our knowledge of the coast, we were in no 

 manner actuated by that spirit of fault-finding, so pithily de- 

 scribed by Liebeg, when he says that it is " startling to reflect 

 that all the time and energy of a multitude of persons of genius, 

 talent, and knowledge is expended in endeavours to demonstrate 

 each others' errors." 



