soo 
AT SEA 
December Ist.^ — The wind came round on the ^9th to the south- 
ward, which determined us to lose no time at Port Mornington, but 
take advantage of so favourable a wind. We lay to last night, and 
early this morning bore away for the straits, leaving Lightning 
Shoal to the eastward, and making directly for Telia Telia. We 
kept the lead constantly going, and found, in general, a good mud 
bottom, with plenty of water; but, occasionally, very sudden 
overfalls. To the eastward were several islands, forming a conti- 
nuation of Duncan's Islands, between which and Telia we passed 
into the open sea, through a channel about seven miles wide. The 
ascertaining of this passage was a satisfactory conclusion of our dis- 
coveries, as it was alone necessary to prove the great value of Port 
Mornington. It is now certain.; that that noble harbour is acces- 
sible from the main sea, and that no danger awaits the navigation, 
except near Lightning Shoal, which, when once known, is easily 
avoided. 
It would have given me great satisfaction to have surveyed the 
coast from Macouar to Cosseir, which, I believe, has been totally 
neglected since the time of Don Juan de Castro. If the ruins of 
Berenice Pancrysos actually exist in Foul Bay, a visit to them 
would be particularly interesting; and in the harbour mentioned 
by the Portuguese admiral, as lying between ^4° and ^6° north, 
the port of Myos Hormos may probably be looked for with success 
by some future navigator. The crazy state of the Panther limited 
our apibition to arriving in safety at Suez. The coast above men- 
tioned is of little importance to navigators, and the headlands are 
already laid down with sufficient accuracy. 
December 6th. — After quitting the straits on the 1st, we were 
