COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
395 
extremity and Troughton Island. Before dark, 182 °- 
we passed over the north extremity of the long Sept. s. 
reef to the westward of Cape Bougainville. 
The following day, at noon, we were near J - 
Condillac Island, after which a sea-breeze from 
the westward enabled us to pass Cape Voltaire, 
at which point our last year’s survey terminated. 
When we were within the Cape, we found an 
ebb-tide setting out of a bight, which trended 
deeply in to the southward, and appeared to be 
studded with rocky islands. This adverse tide 
continued to run all the evening, and prevented 
Our reaching the bottom ; so that, at sunset, we 
dropped the anchor a few miles to the south of 
Cape Voltaire. 
To the westward of this position we counted 
twenty-three islands, the northernmost of which 
were supposed to be the Montalivet Isles of 
Baudin. The whole have an uninteresting and 
rocky appearance, but are not altogether des- 
titute of vegetation: a greenish tinge upon the 
nearest islet saved them from being condemned 
as absolutely steril. 
The next morning a boat visited the outer 6. 
north easternmost islet, named in the chart W ater 
Island, which was found to be as rocky in reality 
as it was in appearance. It is formed of a hard 
granular quartzose sand-stone, of a bluish-gray 
