Port Curtis.-] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
and 7 fathoms, and there was to close to the southern islet. The isoe. 
Lady Nelson made her appearance off'Gatcombe Head about noon ; /% mt 
hut not waiting for her, I went to a point on the northern shore” ' iay 6 
near two miles higher up, where the water was so deep that a ship 
ought make fast to the rocks and trees: the soundings were very 
irregular from the southern islet, but the least depth was 5 fathoms. 
ie port was here contracted to one mile in width ; but it 
opened out higher up, and taking a more northern direction, assumed 
the form of a river. In steering across to the western shore, I car- 
ried from 8 to 4, and afterwards from 6 to 2 fathoms; when turning 
northward for two islets covered with mangroves, the depth in- 
creased again to 7 fathoms. We tried to land upon a third islet it 
being then sunset; but a surrounding bank of soft mud making the 
islet inaccessible, we rowed on upwards, and landed with difficulty 
on the west shore before it became quite dark. The breadth of the 
stream here was about a mile; and the greatest depth 6 fathoms 
at low water. 
In the morning, a small opening was observed in the opposite 
eastern shore ; but reserving this for examination in returning I 
proceeded upwards with a fair wind, five miles further, when the 
greatest depth any where to be found was 3 fathoms. The stream 
then divided into two arms ; the largest, about one mile in breadth 
continuing its direction to the N. W. by N., and apparently ending a 
little further up ; the other running westward, but the greater part 
of both occupied by shallow water and mud banks. Upon the point 
of separation, which is insulated at high water, there were some low, 
reddish cliffs, the second observed on the west shore ; and from thence' 
I set Mount Larcom at S. j 5 ' W., distant seven or eight miles 
This station was nine miles above the steep point, where the 
port is first contracted, and the steep point is ten from Gatcombe 
Head ; and conceiving it could answer no essentially useful purpose to 
pursue the examination where a ship could not go, I returned to the 
small opening in the eastern shore, opposite to where we had passed 
VOL. 11. 17 
Saturday 7. 
