48 
A VOYAGE TO 
[ East Coast 
1802. 
September. 
Wednes. 1. 
Thursday 2 
Friday 3. 
The same muddy flats which rendered landing so difficult in 
the upper parts of the bay, run off to some distance from the shore 
under Double Mount ; and the land is low for two or three miles 
back. The hills then rise, ridge over ridge to a considerable 
elevation ; and at the top are several hummocks, of which two, 
higher than the rest, obtained for this high land its present name. 
So far as the gentlemen were able to ascend, the hills were found to 
be tolerably well covered with pines and other trees ; and the soil 
of the vallies was better than in those near Mount Westall on the 
opposite side of the bay. 
Early on the srnd the brig rejoined ; and the wind being at 
S. by E., we steered across towards Pine Mount, passing over the 
shoal in sixteen feet. In crossing the middle channel, our soundings 
increased to g, and then diminished to less than 3 fathoms upon a 
second shoal, the width of the channel here being not quite three 
miles. On the west side of the second shoal is another channel, 
nearly as wide as the former ; and the greatest depth in it, reduced 
to low water as usual, was 8 fathoms. The water shoaled again 
suddenly on approaching the west side of the bay, and obliged us to 
veer round off; we then steered to pass within Aken’s Island, in- 
tending to anchor in the West Bight behind it; but the depth not 
being sufficient for the ship at low water, we came to in 4 fathoms, 
muddy bottom, one mile from tbe shore and two from Aken’s Island, 
the east end of which bore N. 27 0 W. 
Pine Mount is a single round hill with a high peaked top, 
standing about two miles inland from the West Bight; and to obtain 
a set of bearings from it which should cross those from Mount 
Westall, had induced me to anchor here; but finding my health too 
much impaired by fatigue to accomplish a laborious walk, I sent the 
launch next morning with the scientific gentlemen, and as an easier 
task, landed upon Aken’s Island and took angles from the little 
eminence at its north-east end. 
At every port or bay we entered, more especially after passing 
