Pellew's Group.] 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
177 
CHAPTER VIII. 
Departure from Sir Edward Pellew's Group. Coast from thence west- 
ward. Cape Maria found to he an island. Limmen’s Bight. Coast 
northward to Cape Barrow : landing on it. Circumnavigation of 
Groote Eylandt. Specimens of native art at Chasm Island. Anchorage 
in North-west Bay, Groote Eylandt ; with remarks and nautical 
observations. Blue-mud Bay. Skirmish with the natives. Cape 
Shield. Mount Grindall. Coast to Caledon Bay. Occurrences in 
that bay, with remarks on the country and inhabitants. Astrono- 
mical and nautical observations . 
At daylight of Dec. 27, we got under way from Pellew’s Group ; 1802. 
and passing between the small isles near Cape Fellew, stretched off Monday 27. 
to sea with a fresh breeze at W. N. W. At noon the cape bore 
S. 2 6° W. four leagues, and towards evening we weathered it, hav- 
ing 10 fathoms water at the distance of five miles ; the soundings 
afterwards diminished gradually to 4- fathoms, at two miles from 
West Island, where the anchor was dropped on a muddy bottom, 
for the night. Next morning, the wind being still at north-west, we Tuesday ss. 
again stretched out to sea ; and at noon, when the latitude was 15° 
24', Cape Pellew bore S. bo* E. four leagues. We were then stand- 
ing south-westward ; and at three o'clock, West Isle bore from 
S. 74 0 E. to about South, the last extreme being hidden by an islet 
and rock distant two-and-half miles. The main coast was in sight 
to the south and westward, and we stood for it until six ; the ship was 
then tacked to the north-east, in 3 fathoms, the shore being hree 
miles off, and extending from behind West Island to N. 36' W. It 
vol. n. A a 
