ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [August, 



From the Cape the coafl falls back, forming a kind of double bay. 

 The land was low, and rofe, but very gradually, ridge over ridge 

 inland to a moderate height, the country looking pleafant enough 

 from the fea ; but the trees appeared fmall, and mixed with brum- 

 wood. 



On the morning of the loth it was difcovered that the fioop had 

 unfortunately fprung a very bad leak, which admitted fo much water 

 as kept one pump conftantly at work, this was a ferious caufe of alarm ; 

 and the maize with which the floop had been before loaded was con- 

 tinually choaking up the pump. 



After palling the Solitary Ifles, which Mr. Flinders thought might, 

 with equal propriety, be termed the Miferable, from their fterile and 

 uninviting appearance, they anchored in Shoal Bay, in two and a 

 half fathoms water, on a hard fandy bottom. 



On examining this bay in his boat, he found it to be very mallow. 

 Having returned to the floop about noon, he landed on the fouth head 

 for the purpofe of obferving for the latitude. The meridional alti- 

 tude of the fun gave 29 0 26' 28" S. for the latitude of the entrance 

 into the bay. 



Nothing here appearing to merit more than a fuperficial examina- 

 tion, Mr. Flinders did not think it worth confuming much of his 

 time, and therefore got under way on the afternoon of the 12th. 



On the 15th, they were 13 miles diftant from Cape Byron ; and at 

 the fame time the peak of Mount Warning was juft appearing over 

 it. Having hauled more off, to avoid the reef lying off Point Danger, 

 on the following morning they found themfelves at a confiderable 

 diftance from the land. They now fteered weft for a large fpace ? 

 where no land was vifible, and, perceiving breakers off the fouth point 

 of the opening, were fatisfied that this was Moreton Bay. Paffing 

 between thefe breakers and Point Lookout, they got ground in twenty 

 fathoms water. As they drew nearer, there appeared to be a very 

 large extent of water within the opening. The country to the fea- 

 ward was wretchedly fandy. At duik, Cape Moreton bore weft, 



diftant 



