124 CAPT. STOKES's ORDERS USELESS BAY. 1828. 



those dangerous and exposed shores as he could examine, with 

 the means at his disposal, and sailed myself, in the Adelaide, 

 to explore the supposed St. Sebastian Channel. Every discre- 

 tionary power was given to Captain Stokes to act as he pleased, 

 for the benefit of the service ; but he had strict orders to return 

 to Port Famine by the 24th of July, when I hoped to move the 

 Adventure to some other part of the Strait, and to recommence 

 operations with the earliest days of spring, if the winter should 

 be unfit for our work. 



Having crossed over to the southward of Point Boqueron^ 

 we proceeded, on the 13th of March, to the N.E. (in which 

 direction the opening trended), at no great distance from the 

 northern shore ; behind which the country seemed to rise gra- 

 dually to the summit of a long ridge of table-land, terminating 

 near the First Narrow, and appearing like that in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Cape Gregory. It was inhabited; for here and 

 there we observed the smoke of fires, perhaps intended as invi- 

 tations for us to land. 



The south side of the opening seemed (after forming a 

 small bay under Nose Peak) to extend in a direction parallel 

 to the northern coast of the bay, for three or four leagues, 

 when it dipped beneath the horizon. Neither shore had any 

 opening or indenture in its coast line, of sufficient size to 

 shelter even a boat ; so that a vessel caught here, with a south- 

 westerly gale, would have little chance of escape; unless a chan- 

 nel should exist, of which, from the stillness of the water and 

 the total absence of tide, we had very little hope. The sound- 

 ings were variable between twenty and thirty fathoms, and the 

 bottom seemed to be of shells, probably covering a substratum 

 of clay or sand. As we stood on, a small rocky lump came in 

 sight, which appeared to be the termination of the northern 

 shore, and again we flattered ourselves with the expectation of 

 finding a passage ; but in less than half an hour afterwards, 

 the bay was distinctly seen to be closed by low land, and the 

 rocky lump proved to be an isolated mass of rock, about two 

 miles inland. As every person on board was then satisfied of 

 the non-existence of any channel, we put about to return, and 



