72 
A VOYAGE TO 
[ East Coast. 
1802. 
September. 
At Upper Head it is from twenty at the neaps, to thirty or more at 
the springs ; but the bottom rises so much towards the top of the 
sound, that the tide there never seems to exceed twelve feet. The 
time of high water is nearly eleven hours after the moon's passage 
over and under the meridian; though the flood runs up near an hour 
on the west side of the sound, after it is high water by the shore. 
The places best calculated for the construction of docks, appear 
to be at the uppermost or 4th Flat Isles, where the shoals form a 
natural harbour, and at the entrance of the opening near Upper 
Head, in which is a small islet of sand and rock, not covered with 
mangroves nor surrounded with mud flats. The pines of Port Bowen 
Shoal-water Bay , and the Northumberland Isles, would furnish the 
necessary spars and lighter planking ; and there is no reason to 
think that the eucalyptus, which grows all over the country, should 
not be as fit for timbers, See., as it is found to be further southward. 
No iron ore was seen in the neighbourhood; but were a colony 
established and the back ridge of mountains well examined, this and 
other metallic productions might be found. The attraction which 
the mountains seemed to have upon the needle, is in favour of this 
probability ; but the iron work might be prepared at Port Jackson 
where the ore exists, and in whose vicinity there are plenty of coals. 
Fresh water was scarce at this time, none being any where 
discovered near the sea side, except a small rill at the back of Upper 
Head, little more than adequate to the supply of the tents ; it can 
however be scarcely doubted, that fresh water for domestic purposes 
would be found in most parts of the country ; and there is a season 
of the year, most probably the height of summer, when rain falls 
abundantly, as was demonstrated by the torrent-worn marks down 
the sides of the hills. 
Not a single native was seen, either on the shores of Thirsty, 
or Broad Sounds, during the whole time of our stay. 
There are kanguroos in the woods, but not in numbers. The 
shoals all over the sound are frequented by flocks of ducks and 
