122 COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY. 



watering-, both as affording- the larg-est supply, and 

 the greatest facihties for obtaining- it, the ship was 

 according-ly removed to an anchorag-e off the 

 south part of the bay, and moored, being- in the 

 strength of the tide running round Robiimo Island. 



Shortly after our arrival at Cape York, the two 

 sets of old wells, dug by the Fly, were cleared out, 

 and we completed water to seventy-five tons. These 

 wells are situated immediately behind the sandy 

 beach, — they are merely pits into which the fresh 

 water, with which the ground had become saturated 

 during- the rainy season, oozes through the sand, 

 having undergone a kind of filtration. At times a 

 little surf gets up on the shore, but never, during 

 our stay of three weeks, was it sufficient to inter- 

 rupt the A\'atering. 



While the ship remained at Cape York, the 

 Bramble, Asp, pinnace, and our second cutter, were 

 engaged, under their respective officers, in the survey 

 of Endeavour Strait and the Prince of Wales 

 Channel, which they finished before we left, thus 

 completing the survey of the Inner Route between 

 Dunk and Booby Islands. Previous to leaving for 

 that purpose, the pinnace had been sent to Booby 

 Island, for letters in the "post office" there, and 

 some of us had the good fortune to receive commu- 

 nications from our friends in S^^dney, which had 

 been left by vessels passing through. Most passing 

 vessels heave-to off the island for an hour, the 

 dangei's of Torres Strait having been passed, and 



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