82 
1802. 
October. 
Monday 4. 
A VOYAGE TO [East Coast . 
out, the basin would contain fifteen or twenty sail of merchant ships 
with great ease. 
The flood tide came from the north and the ebb from the south, 
past the anchorage ; but on the outside, they run south-west and 
north-east. It is not extraordinary that the rise and fall by the shore 
did not exactly coincide with the swinging of the ship ; but that the 
time of high water should differ three hours, and the rise twenty 
feet from Broad Sound, is remarkable. According to Mr. Fowler's 
observations in the basin, it was high water there eight hours after 
the moon’s passage ; and the rise at the neaps and springs appeared 
to be from eight to twelve feet. 
Three meridian observations to the north. 
taken by lieutenant Flinders, gave the lati- 
tude of our anchorage, - - 
21° 
39' 
31" s. 
Longitude, according to the position of Upper 
Head and the survey from thence, - 
150 
12 
E. 
Variation of the needle, observed on the low 
south-west point of No. 2, 
8 
28 
E. 
Three compasses on board the ship at anchor. 
gave 5 0 34' when the head was east, or cor- 
rected to the meridian, - 
8 
4 
E. 
Upon the different elevated places whence bearings were taken, the 
variation differed from 7° go' to g® 30' east. 
Early in the morning of the 4th, we got under way, with the 
Lady Nelson in company, to proceed on our voyage to Torres’ Strait 
and the Gulph of Carpentaria. The wind was at E. by N., and we 
kept close up to weather the northern Percy Isles ; for I had a desire 
to fall in with the reefs laid down by Mr. Campbell, three-quarters 
of a degree to the eastward, in latitude 2i|° ; and to ascertain their 
termination to the north-westward. 
The tide prevented us from weathering the islands till three 
in the afternoon ; we then passed between No. 4 and some rocks 
