66 
A VOYAGE TO [East Coast. 
1802. 
September. 
Wednes. 15. 
to reconcile the bearings, I found it necessary to allow 12 0 of east 
variation. 
Towards Double Mount and Shoal-water Bay, the country 
consisted of gently-rising hills and extensive plains, well covered 
with wood and apparently fertile. The stream at the head of Broad 
Sound could not be traced from hence more than three or four miles 
above the tent; but it may possibly run up much further to the 
south-eastward, though too small to be distinguished in the wood, 
or to be navigable for boats. To the south and westward there was 
a ridge of high land, which appeared to be a prolongation of the 
same whence the upper branches of Port Bowen and Shoal-water 
Bay take their rise, and by which the low land and small arms on 
the west side of Broad Sound are bounded. A similar ridge ran 
behind Port Curtis and Keppel Bay, and it is not improbable that the 
two are connected, and of the same substance ; for at Port Curtis 
the basis stone of the country was a granite, and this small hill was 
the same. It has been more than once observed, that granite is 
amongst the substances which exert an influence upon the magnetic 
needle ; and it is to the attraction of the ridge of mountains to the 
south and westward, that I attribute the great variation found in the 
bearings at this station. 
We returned to the tent at sunset; and there passed a disa- 
greeable night amongst musketoes, sand flies, and ants. At four in 
Thurs. is, the morning the ebb had made, and we embarked in the boat ; but 
the depth of water was so little that we could not proceed, and were 
obliged to re-land and wait for the following tide ; not without 
apprehension of being left till the next springs came on. At two in 
the afternoon the flood came up rapidly, and in half an hour it was 
high water ; we set off immediately, and after some trouble from the 
shoals, reached the brig at five o'clock. Mr. Murray got under 
Friday 17. way at three the next morning to beat down to Upper Head, the 
wind being from the northward ; but the Lady Nelson getting 
