July 1829. 



ADELAIDE'S PROCEEDINGS. 



259 



Lieut. Skyring, and his assistant,* completed the survey of the 

 entrance to the passage, which was named Smyth Channel, as a 

 compliment to Capt. W. H. Smyth, R. N., under whom, while 

 surveying the Mediterranean, both Lieuts. Skyring and Graves 

 had served. 



The best channel they found to the eastward of Renouard 

 Island, and the Adelaide took that course, but stopped a night 

 in a small cove on the eastern side of the island, and in passing 

 Shoal Island next day struck on a rock ; she was got off how- 

 ever without injury, and anchored afterwards, for a night, on 

 the north side of the Island of the Narrows. 



The two following days (lOth and 11th) were spent in 

 examining the coast, and exploring Clapperton Inlet, whicli 

 had the appearance of being a channel. From the hills at the 

 bottom Lieut. Skyring noticed a considerable tract of low land 

 and open plain, extending to the northward. On the 12th, 

 being Sunday, they remained quiet, and on the 13th the wea- 

 ther was so calm that they only reached Hose Harbour, on the 

 east side ; and the next day Oake Bay. Thence crossing the 

 channel in a whaleboat they explored some distance along that 

 shore ; and on the 15th anchored in Otter Bay. This slow 

 progress was unavoidable, owing to the calm state of the wea- 

 ther, and to the survey being principally, if not entirely, carried 

 on in boats.. 



On the 16th the schooner was towed onwards, and passing 

 over an extensive shoal ^lat of three fathoms, reached the Sum- 

 mer Islands, where she might have stopped, but, as the tide 

 was still favourable, she proceeded to an anchorage under 

 Long Island, the most northern in the Elson group. 



The eastern shore of the channel was there very different in 

 character from what they had so long been accustomed to, 

 being nearly level ; and, extending for some distance off every 

 low point, there was shoal water. 



For some days a lofty mountain, covered with snow, had 

 Ibeen in sight ; which, by angular measurement, proved tQ 



* Mr. Kirke, 



S 2 



