386 
SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 
1890- rived off Booby Island, after a voyage of twenty- 
Au £* 16 * two days. 
A good opportunity was here offered, by com- 
paring our voyage with that of the Sea-Flower, 
of proving the superiority of the in- shore route: 
the Mermaid left Port Jackson on the 12th July, 
and passed Booby Island on the 16th August, 
which is an interval of thirty-five days ; from this 
fifteen must be deducted for the delays occasioned 
by the survey ; ti#., at Port Bowen two days, at 
Endeavour River nine days, at Lizard Island, 
Cape Flinders, Haggerston’s Island, and the 
Possession Islands, one day each ; this leaves 
twenty days for our passage, being two days 
shorter than the Sea-Flowers’. This comparison, 
therefore, is in favour of the in- shore route. But 
it is not only superior to the passage without 
the reefs, from its being shorter, there are also 
other advantages: the principal of which are, 
that the weather is more generally fine ; the sea 
is always perfectly smooth ; and wood or water 
may be procured upon various parts of the coast : 
with only common attention there is no risk ; 
and, however laboriously the day may be spent, 
the night is passed without disturbing the crew , 
for safe and good anchorage may be taken up 
every night under the lee of an islet or a reef, 
