24 
A VOYAGE TO 
[East Coast. 
August. arm ’ and the extensive flats made it impossible to land upon the south 
Wcdnes. 11. side of the bay ; and finding that nothing more could be done at this 
time, I returned to the ship. 
1 he numerous shoals in Keppel Bay rendering the services of 
the Lady Nelson in a great measure useless to the examination, I 
directed lieutenant Murray to run out to the hummocky island lying 
to the north-east from Cape Keppel, and endeavour to take us some 
turtle ; for there were no signs of inhabitants upon it, and turtle 
seemed to be plentiful in this neighbourhood. He was also to ascend 
the hills, and take bearings of any island or other object visible in 
the offing ; and after making such remarks as circumstances might 
allow, to return not later than the third evening. 
Thurs. 12. Next afternoon, I went, accompanied by the naturalist, to 
examine the eastern arm of the bay , which is divided into two branches 
Pursuing the easternmost and largest, with soundings from 6 to 3 
fathoms, we came to several mangrove islands, about four miles up, 
where the stream changed its direction from S. S. E. to E S E and 
the deepest water was 2 fathoms. A little further on we landed for 
the night, cutting a path through the mangroves to a higher part of 
the northern shore; but the swarms of musketoes and sand flies 
made sleeping impossible to all except one of the boat’s crew, who 
was so enviably constituted, that these insects either did not attack 
him, or could not penetrate his skin. It was high water here at nine 
o clock , and the tide afterwards fell between ten and twelve feet 
Friday 13. In the morning, I set Broad Mount in Keppel Bay at N. 6V 
20' W. and Mount Larcom S. 8° 20' E. ; and we then steered on- 
ward in six to eight feet water, amongst various little islands of mud 
and mangroves ; the whole width of the stream being still more than 
half a mile, nearly the same as at the entrance. Three miles above 
the sleeping place the water began to increase in breadth, and was 
e fathoms deep ; and advancing further, it took a direction more 
southward, and to our very agreeable surprise, brought us to the 
head of Port Curtis ; forming thus a channel of communication from 
