COASTS OP AUSTRALIA. 
237 
least three miles. We then bore away to the 1819. 
northward, and anchored in five fathoms and a July 20. 
half, at a mile from Sunday Island, which bore 
between N. 23° and 44° E. (magnetic.) The bay 
I called Margaret Bay ; its shores are low, and 
composed of a remarkable white sand. 
We were detained at this anchorage from thick 21—22 
and squally weather for two days. On the 22d, 
the gentlemen visited Sunday Island. The island 
is composed of a heap of rocks, covered with a 
thickly-matted underwood, and surrounded by a 
coral reef ; it is about a mile and a half in cir- 
cumference, and rather higher than the islands in 
its vicinity. It had been visited by the natives 
some time since, but there were no traces of 
turtle, nor any thing to induce our gentlemen to 
repeat their visit. 
Early on the morning of the 24th, we left Mar- 24 . 
garet Bay ; and, steering to the northward, passed 
close round the western side of the Bird Isles of 
Captain Cook. Eight or ten natives were stand- 
ing on the sandy point of the north-easternmost 
islet, attentively engaged in watching us as we 
passed by; and near them were two canoes 
hauled up on the beach. The canoes appeared 
to be of similar construction to that seen at 
Endeavour River ; but certainly were not more 
than sixteen or eighteen feet in length. The 
