266 APPENDIX. 



increased quantity of provisions we required, detained us in 

 Sydney till March 27th. We then sailed, and after 

 touching at Port Stephens we rendezvoused at Sandy Cape, 

 where we completed our water from an abundant supply 

 immediately behind the beach, about seven miles within 

 the point of the Cape. We then passed through the 

 Capricorn Group, and the Percy and Northumberland 

 Islands, to Cape Upstart, making some additions to our 

 previous surveys by the way. At Cape Upstart we again 

 filled our tanks and water-casks, and after experiencing a 

 good deal of blowing weather along the north-east coast, 

 we commenced landing the stores on Raine's Islet on 

 May 27th. As soon as the party was landed, and the 

 houses and tents put up, a quarry was opened at the east 

 end of the island, near the spot selected for the erection of 

 the beacon. The stone was a coral rock, an agglutinated 

 mass of grains and fragments of corals and shells ; it worked 

 easily into square blocks, and promised to be sufficiently 

 durable. The lime was procured by burning the large 

 shells of the tridacna and hippopus, which were to be got 

 in abundance from the reef at low water. One or two wells 

 were sunk in the island, but no fresh water was procured ; 

 although in one of the wells, at a depth of 16 feet, the 

 water was only brackish, and could be used to slack the 

 lime, although very unpalatable to the taste. As there 

 was no anchorage near the island, the Fly had to lie about 

 12 miles off to the south-west, behind the reefs of the 

 Barrier, and the Bramble, the Prince George, the Midge 

 and the boats were employed in running backwards and 

 forwards with provisions, stores, wood and water. Wood 

 had to be sought for on some of the islands near the main, 

 as large quantities were used in burning the lime ; and 

 water was procured from Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, 

 where small dams had been erected at the end of the 



