112 CAPE MELVILLE. 



remarkable granitic promontory; here the Great 

 Barrier Reef closely approaches the coast^ being' 

 distant only ten miles, and visible from the ship. 

 A few miles to the south some pine-trees were seen 

 on the ridges, as had previously been noticed by Cun- 

 ningham, during King's Voyage. They appeared 

 to be the same kind as that formerly alluded to at the 

 Percy Isles, in which case this useful tree has a 

 range on the north-east coast of oOO miles of 

 latitude, being found as far south as Port Bowen. 



Next dav we shifted our berth to a more secure 

 anchorage under the neighbouring Pipon Islets, 

 where the Bramble joined us in the evening. The 

 schooner had been sent on in advance of the ship 

 to the northward nearly a month before, in order to 

 be at the head of Princess Charlotte's Bay during 

 the first week in August, according to an arrange- 

 ment made by Captain Stanley with Mr. Kennedy, 

 but no signs of the overland expedition were met 

 with during ten days spent at the rendezvous.* 



While at this anchorage, the Bramble, being in 

 want of water, filled up at a small stream, inside of 

 Cape Melville, assisted by some of our boats and 

 people. The party so employed was one day 

 attacked by a number of natives, but, the usual 

 precaution of having sentries posted and a gTiard 



* We afterwards learned that it was not until the middle of 

 October (or two months afterwards) that Kennedy's party 

 reached the latitude of Princess Charlotte Bay, at a considerable 

 distance too, from the coast 



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