382 PORT ESSINGTON. 



tralia, destined, doubtless, from its proximity to 

 India, and our other fast increasing eastern posses- 

 sions, to become not only a great commercial resort, 

 but a valuable naval post in time of war. Many cir- 

 cumstances combine to render it a desirable station. 

 Its great size, having an extent sufficient to hold 

 the largest fleet, is in itself of vast importance, 

 while, as a shelter for distressed vessels, or the 

 surviving crews of wrecks, it cannot be too highly 

 rated : the more so that excellent wood for 

 repairing ships grows in the neighbourhood, espe- 

 cially teak and oak, specimens of which with others, 

 Captain Laws forwarded, in 182S, to one of the 

 dockvards in England. 



As we advanced the shores of the harbour con- 

 tracted, and at the distance of thirteen miles from the 

 entrance are only one mile apart ; scarcely half, 

 however, of this space is navigable, from a bank 

 extending oflT the west side, which is a rocky head 

 called Spear Point, from the circumstance of Cap- 

 tain King having been there nearly speared, by the 

 natives. The bearincrs for clearingf the extremes 

 of this reef are as follows. For the south-eastern, 

 Adam Head S. 20" W , for the eastern. Middle 

 Head S. 18" W., and for the north-eastern, 

 Oyster Head N. 47° W. This great decrease in 

 the breadth of the passage, necessarily gives the tide 

 at this spot great rapidity, by which a channel, 

 thirteen fathoms deep, has been formed close to the 



