268 APPENDIX. 



people whom we had picked up among the reefs, and to 

 carry and receive letters and dispatches. She returned to 

 Sourabaya on January 4th. 



On January 14th, 1845, the Fly and the Bramble sailed 

 from Sourabaya to return to Torres Strait with the north- 

 west monsoon, leaving the Prince George to follow as soon 

 as she had completed her refitting. We had very heavy 

 weather at first. After a vain attempt to pass through the 

 Strait of Lombock, owing to the strength of the current 

 setting to the northward, we got through those of Alass and 

 again reached Port Essington on January 27th. On 

 February 4th we sailed for Endeavour Strait, and anchored 

 in the entrance of it on the 10th. We had light winds 

 and pleasant weather in this passage from Alass Strait to 

 Torres Strait during the north-west monsoon. From this 

 time to April 19th we were engaged in surveying the central 

 and north-eastern parts of Torres Strait, and succeeded in 

 laying down an excellent track for shipping round the 

 northern extremity of the Great Barrier Reef through the 

 inner reefs and islands, to the entrance of Endeavour 

 Strait. On April 19th the Bramble was sent to try to 

 make her way along the eastern coast of Australia to 

 Sydney. This being against the trade wind had only been 

 twice attempted before, once in the Zenobia by Captain 

 Lihou, who succeeded with great difficulty, and once this 

 very season by a schooner called the Heroine, Captain 

 McKenzie, the success of whose attempt we were as yet 

 unaware of. Lieut. Yule not only succeeded, but added 

 120 miles to the Survey of the Barrier Reef, continuing it 

 from Lizard Island to the southward as far as lat. 16° 40'. 



In the mean time the Fly and Prince George went to 

 explore a part of the coast of New Guinea, to the northward 

 and eastward of Torres Strait. Having surveyed as much 

 of this as was possible, owing to the difficult and dangerous 



