wolf's bay channel. 151 



channel to the northward. It led out into " Wolf 

 Bay " of the Admiralty chart, and divided the land 

 thereabouts into several small islands, the channels 

 between which were often a mile in breadth, with 

 four fathoms water. Shoal parts were seen here and 

 there ; but for small vessels there was abundance 

 of the most sheltered and land-locked harbourage. 

 Water also was abundant during the N.W T . mon- 

 soon ; but in the dry season of the year would 

 probably be deficient. We fell in with a large party 

 of natives, whose canoes were the finest and largest 

 we had yet seen, precisely resembling those we 

 afterwards saw among the islands to the north-east. 

 The natives were perfectly friendly ; and during 

 our absence, another party visited the ship with 

 tortoise-shell and other things, which they offered 

 in barter, and conducted themselves in the most 

 peaceable manner. 



From February to June 1845, we were engaged 

 in surveying the northern and eastern parts of Torres 

 Strait. We had come from Java with the N.W. 

 monsoon, which commenced there in November or 

 December. In Torres Strait we found the weather 

 variable. The S.E. trade wind would sometimes 

 blow for several days together, succeeded by a wind 

 from the N.W. With both winds we had much fair 

 weather, and both varied in strength from a light 

 air to a stiff breeze. We had, however, two heavy 

 breezes, amounting to gales, from the N.W., with 

 very heavy rain, and thunder and lightning. They 



