252 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1819. of a bay, and inside of a group of islands which 
July 29 . appear to be the “ Cocodrils Eylandts” of the old 
charts. The bay was called after the late Vis- 
count Castlereagh, then Secretary of State for the 
Foreign Department. Two or three small open- 
ings that were noticed at the bottom of the bay, 
are probably the embouchures of as many rivulets* 
This part of the country is low, and of uninterest- 
ing aspect ; dwarf timber appears to pervade the 
summits of the land near the coast, and of so level 
an outline, that it bears a strong resemblance to a 
clipped hedge. 
si. At day-light we were enveloped in a dense 
fog, which nearly concealed the land ; but, on 
weighing, two conspicuous points were set, by 
which I was enabled to connect my survey. 
Soon afterwards the fog spread so thickly over 
us, that the land was entirely concealed ; and as 
the water was shoal, we were obliged to anchor 
until the fog cleared off, when we again got under 
weigh, and ascertained the form of the south- 
west corner of the bay ; it is of very shoal approach: 
our anchorage at night was not more than four 
miles and a half to the north-east of that of the 
evening before. 
Aug. l. The next day we attempted to steer to sea 
between the islands, but our course was inter- 
