Ix President's Address 



the Australian expedition sailed from Melbourne to Cape 

 Sidmouth (lat. ]3 deg. 25 min. S., long, 143 deg. 37min. K, 

 and about 176 miles south of Cape York, on the east coast 

 of Australia), via Sydney, at which place the Queensland 

 Government steamer the Governor Blackall was ready to 

 receive them. The Victorian party consisted of an observ- 

 ing party of eight, and 13 passengers. At Sydney these 

 were joined by the New South Wales observing party of 

 six, and three passengers, these (numbering 30), with the 

 officers and crew, and three or four mechanics and assistants, 

 made up a party of 72 souls. The expedition left Sydney on 

 the eve of November 27, and arrived off Cape Sidmouth on 

 December 6, after a rapid and exceedingly pleasant and 

 varied passage. The character of the navigation within the 

 Barrier Reef rendered it necessary to anchor before night, 

 and this was generally done under some of the numerous 

 and beautiful islands which stud the seas in the immediate 

 neis'hbourhood of the east coast of Australia. 



On several occasions we anchored early enough to permit 

 of landing upon and exploring the island. Instead of Cape 

 Sidmouth itself, an island known as No. 6 of the Claremont 

 group was selected for an observing station. The chief 

 reasons for preferring it to Cape Sidmouth were these — the 

 water is very shoal for ovei' two miles seaward at Cape 

 Sidmouth, which would have made it very difficult to land 

 the instruments safely, and rendered communication 

 between the shore and the ship very tedious. The S. E. 

 trades were still blowing, it was therefore a lee shore, and 

 the aboriginals were known to be numerous in that part, 

 and are often troublesome at night. The coral islands, 

 on the other hand are generally " steep to," affording good 

 anchorage close in on the lee side, and there is generally 

 good landing for boats ; these facts induced us at all events 

 to examine No. 6 Islet first. 



