BAYS NORTH OF CAPE PALMERSTON. 39 



anchoring in shoal water a little north of Cape 

 Palmerston ; the surveying officers employed in 

 laying down the coast and the neighbouring islands. 

 March 14. — At daylight, Captain Blackwood, 

 with Mr. Melville and myself, left the ship in the 

 first gig to examine an opening in the shore like a 

 harbour. We passed a small headland of red 

 quartzose rock, on which we landed for a short 

 time, and then steered for an opening in the man- 

 groves ahead, which, however, we soon found to 

 be a mere shallow creek. We then rounded another 

 rocky headland, and landing on the inside of it, 

 proceeded to the summit. From this we looked 

 over what appeared a very fine port, five or six 

 miles deep and three miles wide, but surrounded by 

 a thick belt of mangroves round its upper portion. 

 It was now high water, and we proceeded in good 

 spirits to examine it, crossing in a N.W. direction. 

 To our great regret, however, we got nowhere more 

 than five fathoms in sailing across, and this only in 

 a few places, the usual depth being only three or 

 four. We steered for two grassy hills near the 

 N.W. corner of the bay, and went first to examine 

 an opening at the back of them, which we soon 

 found, however, to be a mere shoal, muddy channel, 

 winding among a great expanse of mangroves. Re- 

 turning, we rowed nearly round the hills into a 

 sandy cove, in approaching which the boat got 

 aground, and as the tide was rapidly falling, she 

 was shortly high and dry. 



