150 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



the limit of boat navigation, about 10 miles " as the crow flies," 

 and this portion of the river was charted and soundings were taken. 1 

 In this chart, the name " MOUNT COOK " appears for the first time. 



The ship left the harbour on nth July, and followed the coast 

 to the north. After passing CAPE BEDFORD and CAPE FLATTERY, 

 Lieut. Jeffreys named the COLE GROUP OF ISLANDS (off Murdoch 

 Point), CAPE BOWEN * and CAPE NINIAN. On i^th July, the 

 " Mermaid " passed CAPE FLINDERS, the northmost point of 

 Stanley Island, Flinders Group (14 8' S. ; 144 14" E.), where the 

 wreck of the " Frederick " was seen. On 20*0 July, King named 

 HAGGERSTON and the SIR EVERARD HOME ISLANDS and MARGARET 

 BAY, all in the vicinity of Cape Grenville. (SEE MAP B.) Bligh had 

 already crossed the mouth of Margaret Bay in the " Bounty's " 

 launch, in 1789. 



On 2^th July, the McARTHUR and HANNIBAL ISLANDS were 

 named. 8 (SEE MAP A.) The same day the "Mermaid " grounded off 

 the mouth of the ESCAPE RIVER and was got off with great diffi- 

 culty. It is to this incident that the river owes its name, and not, 

 as is generally supposed, to the attempted escape of Kennedy. 



From the Escape River, King steered (2$th July) NNW., 

 altering his course to NW. between ALBANY and MOUNT ADOLPHUS 

 ISLANDS. Practically following the route taken by Bligh in the 

 " Bounty's " launch, he rounded the northern capes of WEDNESDAY 

 and HAMMOND ISLANDS. Thence, between GOOD ISLAND and the 

 NORTH-WEST REEF (PRINCE OF WALES CHANNEL), he followed the 

 track of Flinders, in the " Cumberland" to BOOBY ISLAND. The 

 long distance from the Escape River to Booby Island was covered 

 in a single day. Crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria, WESSEL'S 

 ISLAND was reached on 2%th July. (ADMIRALTY CHART, No. 447.) 



2. THIRD VOYAGE OF THE "MERMAID" 



The " Mermaid's " second voyage does not concern the present 

 inquiry. On her third, she left Sydney on i^th June, 1820, and 

 anchored for the second time in the ENDEAVOUR RIVER on 2jth 

 July. The previous watering-place was found to be dry. (SEE 

 MAP E.) The party made observations and took in wood and water, 

 and explored the land within a radius of 6 miles. The NATIVES 

 appeared inclined to be tricky : on one occasion, they approached 

 furtively dragging spears with their toes. 



The anchor was weighed on $th August, and on the following 



i Plan of Endeavour River, surveyed by Mr. J. S. Roe, Master Mate of H.M. cutter 

 " Mermaid," 1819. 



* My notebook contains a sketch of Cape Bowen, taken from the steamer 

 " Normanby " on gth July, 1877. The bare hillside shows three thick horizontal beds of 

 sandstone, separated by soft beds, presumably of shales, and resting on what appear 

 to be highly inclined schistose rocks. 



3 King also named Hannibal Bay, but the name, for some reason, has been omitted 

 from modern charts. 



