112 
A VOYAGE TO 
[ East Coast. 
1802. 
October. 
Saturday 30. 
(Atlas, 
PI. XVIII. 
View 11.) 
E. by S. and W. by N., past the ship ; and by her swinging, it was 
high water at half an hour after midnight, or about ten hours and a 
half after the moon had passed over the meridian. The bottom 
seemed to be loose at our anchorage; but were these islands exam- 
ined, it is probable that better ground and shelter would be found on 
their western sides. I distinguished from the mast head the north 
end of a reef, three miles distant to the W.N. W.; but could not 
see whether it joined the reef surrounding the large island. At 
N. N. W. | W. four miles, was the south-west end of another reef; 
and when we got under way at half past eight in the morning, our 
course was directed between the two. 
Ripplings of a suspicious appearance caused the whale boat to 
be kept a-head for some time ; but finding no ground upon them 
with 30 fathoms, and the breeze becoming fresh, the boat was called 
on board. At g h 40' the following bearings were taken : 
Darnley’s Island, highest part, - N - 39° w * 
Murray’s Islands, the largest, - - S. 58° to 40 E. 
two smaller, nearly touching, S. 36 to 27 E. 
Rippling off the N. end of a reef, dist. ^ mile, - S. W. ~ W. 
East end of a reef, distant ij miles, - - N. 6 E. 
Mr. Westall’s second view of Murray’s Isles was taken from this 
position. 
Knowing the difficulties experienced by captain Bligh and Mr. 
Bampton in the northern part of the strait, I kept as much up to the 
southward, for Cape York, as the direction of the reefs would admit. 
On the windward side, we had a long chain of them extending 
W. S. W. to a great distance ; but its breadth was not great, as the 
blue water was seen beyond it, from the mast head. On the north 
side there was no regular chain, and but one reef of much extent ; 
small patches were indeed announced every now and then, from 
aloft, but these did not cause us much impediment; the greatest w r as 
from two right in our track ; but being a mile apart, we passed 
between them at eleven o clock. 
