374 REMARKS ON THE 



tioii, Mr. Bynoe saw them there in great abundance. 

 The contrary was the case with the quail, which, by 

 that time, had completely deserted the island. 

 Turtle were once found on this isle, but they are 

 now never taken. A few of the stones mentioned 

 by Captain King are still to be seen on the summit. 



This being a point at which ships correct or test 

 the going of their chronometers, it was necessary to 

 obtain observations for longitude. The spot chosen 

 for the purpose was the landing place near the S.W. 

 corner of the islet, and which we found to be 9" ^5' 

 E. of Port Essington. 



Our opportunities of examination with regard to 

 the inner edge of the Great Barrier, and its conti- 

 guous islands and reefs, terminating at Booby 

 Island ; it may not be deemed irrelevant to hazard a 

 few remarks in recapitulation. In the first place 

 there was a very perceptible increase in the eleva- 

 tion of the reefs and of those islands resting on 

 similar constructions, as we advanced to the north- 

 ward. Cairncross Island, in lat. 11J"S., composed 

 of heaped up consolidated fragments, attains an 

 elevation of 17 feet ; but its trees rise to a height of 

 75 feet, whilst to the southward, in lat. 13^° S. the 

 islands were partially flooded by a tide, rising only 

 about six feet. The reefs are all either circular or 

 oval shaped, with a rim rising round them. The de- 

 scription of that frontinof the isle we visited for 

 Boy dan will illustrate their general character. 

 Their northern ends are the highest, and are almost 

 invariably marked by a heap of dead coral and 



