COASTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
81 
being in latitude 15° 50' 39", we found ourselves i 82 i. 
off a bay, the east head of which was formed Aug. 17. 
by several islands. The land at the back ap- 
peared to be of tolerable height, but its outline 
was so level, that it did not present any promi- 
nent feature sufficiently defined to take a bearing 
of more than once; its coast appeared to be 
fronted by several rocky islands, and to be very 
much intersected to the westward; either by 
straits or considerable openings. 
The continued hazy state of the weather pre- 
vented our ascertaining the particular feature of 
the country; it seemed to be rocky and very 
bare of vegetation ; but there were some parts, 
particularly on one of the islands to the east- 
ward at the entrance of Collier’s Bay, where a 
few good-sized trees were growing over a sandy 
beach. 
The ebb tide after noon was against us, and the 
wind being light, we were making no progress. 
As sunset approached, we began to look for 
anchorage; but the suspicious nature of the 
bottom, and the great depth of the water, pre- 
vented our being successful until some time after 
dark ; the anchor was at last dropped in twenty- 
eight fathoms, on a bottom of sandy mud, with 
the ebb-tide setting to the N.W., at the rate 
nearly of two knots. 
VoL. II. 
G 
