TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
S9 
Barrier Reefs.'] 
in the British Museum; and I have since seen single shells more than 
four times the weight of the above shells and fish taken together. Saturday y. 
There were various small channels amongst the reefs, some 
of which led to the outer breakers, and through these the tide was 
rushing in when we returned to the ship; but I could not any where 
see an opening sufficiently wide for the vessels. Low water took 
place at a quarter past three, which corresponded with the time of high 
water observed at the preceding anchorage. 
It was too late in the day to begin following the line of the 
high breakers to the north-westward ; but we lifted the anchor to 
remove further from the eastern reef, which was dry within a mile 
of the ship. The wind was light at south-east ; and in steering 
westward, with a boat sounding a-head, we got into one of the nai- 
row streams of tide which carried us rapidly to the south-west ; nor 
could the boat assist us across, so much was it twisted about by the 
whirlpools. At six o’clock, being well clear of the stream, an anchor 
was dropped upon coral sand, in 30 fathoms ; at ten, when the ship 
swung to the ebb, the depth was 33 fathoms, and 28 at low water ; 
as, however, we had two-thirds of a cable out, some of the difference 
probably arose from the irregularity of the bottom. 
At daylight we steered N. N. W. ; but reefs were presently Sunday 10. 
seen all round in that direction, and the course was altered for the 
small passage through which we had come on the 8th. Such, how- 
ever, was the change in the appearance of the reefs, that no passage 
could then be discovered ; and fearing to be mistaken, I dared not 
venture through, but took a more southern channel, where before 
no passage had appeared to exist. At nine o’clock, having sandy 
ground in 32 fathoms, and it being very difficult to distinguish the 
shoals at high water, the anchor was dropped in latitude 20 0 56 f south 
and longitude 150° 5$ east. Between one and two in the afternoon, 
we steered W. N. W. and N. W. ; and meeting with a small dry reef 
at four, hauled up northward, following the line of the great north- 
ern reefs upon which the high breakers had been seen. At half 
vol. 11. N 
