COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
73 
West Bay, but it is very doubtful whether any 
have succeeded, on account of the custom that A P ril 7 - 
the natives have when the grass is dry, of setting 
fire to it, so that there is little doubt but that all 
the annual plants have been destroyed. 
The bay was called Mullet Bay, in conse- 
quence of the immense shoals of that fish which 
were seen near the shores, and of which Boon- 
garee speared several with his fiz-gig. The tre- 
pang were found about the rocks on the beach in 
great numbers, as they were also on the South 
Island. 
On the 8th we left Mullet Bay, and made an s 
unsuccessful attempt to beat round the north end 
of the island, and to return by steering through 
the strait that separates the Northern from the 
Southern Island : we were, however, prevented 
by the freshness of the wind, and the strength of 
the current. 
On the 10th, we bore up with the intention of 10 * 
returning to South-West Bay. On approaching 
it, however, we were surprised with the sight of 
the Malay fleet steering through Macquarie 
Strait, towards two of their proas that had 
already anchored in a sandy bay on the S.W. 
side of Sims’ Island. It was therefore deter- 
mined that we should proceed as far to the west- 
ward before night-fall as we could, and as the 
