496 CRAGGY ISLAND. 



The entire month of July was occupied by the 

 repairs of the ship, and the surveying operations ; 

 when we sailed from the Tamar and examined the 

 passage at the eastern entrance of the strait, between 

 Craggy Island and Flinders, which we found per- 

 fectly free from danger — a fact of great importance, 

 as it had, hitherto, been reported full of sunken 

 rocks. The Beagle passed a mile and a half from 

 the south side of Craggy Island in 25 and 28 

 fathoms. This passage has a depth of 26 and 27 

 fathoms, and is six miles wide, whilst between 

 Wright's Rock and Kent Group the width is 

 nearly eleven miles. There appears, by the rip- 

 plings, to be foul ground between Craggy Island 

 and Endeavour Reef, and the space intervening has, 

 accordingly, been marked as one shoal in the chart. 



Leaving the eastern entrance of the strait, we ran 

 up to Sydney, for the supplies that had not arrived 

 from England on our last visit ; we now found them 

 waiting for us, together with orders for the Beagle 

 to return to England. Fortunately, however, the 

 survey of Bass Strait was in such a forward state, 

 thanks to Sir John Franklin's kind assistance in 

 lending the Vansittart, that I could take upon myself 

 the responsibility of waiting a few months to com- 

 plete it.* I was, however, compelled by the brief 

 interval of time allowed me, and the urgent demand 

 that existed for a correct chart of the whole strait, 



* This step was approved of by the Commander in chief. 



