398 PORT ESSINGTON. 



to say, was nearly 15 seconds greater than Captain 

 Stanley and Mr. Tyers's determination : this dif- 

 ference to me was quite unaccountable, as the 

 instruments used in the Beagle were before and 

 subsequently, satisfactorily tested at well determined 

 places. The longitude being affected by the doubt- 

 ful meridian distance between Sydney and Port 

 Stephen, we can only give an approximate re- 

 sult ; and therefore for the sake of the longitudes 

 of those places referred to the meridian of Port 

 Essington, we consider it 132" 12' East of Green- 

 wich. 



From the quantity of iron in the rocks at Vic- 

 toria, it was impossible to get any satisfactory obser- 

 vation for the variation of the compass. Those 

 obtained varied from f to 2|^ degrees east. 



We found that Mr. Tyers had made about seven 

 months* observations on the tides, which gave a 

 very irregular rise and fall, varying from two to 

 thirteen feet. The time of hioh- water beino^ half 

 past three, at the full and change. Oxide of iron is 

 found in some places in large quantities, and is used 

 by the natives to adorn themselves when dancing. 

 This it is which gives to the coast the peculiar red 

 hue noticed between Cape Croker and Port Essing- 

 ton. Many of the cliffs were composed of a light- 

 coloured marie ; but the formation is chiefly old 

 arenaceous rocks. Two of the highest and most 

 remarkable hills on the Peninsula, known as 

 Mounts Bedwell and Rose, have singular flat tops, 



