104 
SURVEY OF THE INTERTROPICAL 
1831. truly desolate appearance, being nothing but 
Aug-. 30. ridges of bare white sand, scantily crowned with 
a few shrubby bushes. 
Behind Point Gantheaume the land appeared 
to be formed by downs of very white sand; 
and between this point and Cape Boileau is a 
bay, which at first, from the direction of the 
flood stream at the anchorage, was conjectured 
to be an inlet ; but as the tide afterwards set to 
the Northward and N.E., it was concluded to 
be occasioned by the stream sweeping round the 
shores of the bay : according to the depth along- 
side, there was a rise of ten feet; after high 
water the ebb set between N.|W. and N.N.E., 
at the rate of a quarter to three-quarters of a 
knot. 
During the whole day the horizon was oc- 
cupied by haze, and produced a very remark- 
able effect upon the land, which was so raised 
above the horizon by refraction, that many distant 
objects became visible that could not otherwise 
have been seen. This mirage had been fre- 
quently observed by us on various parts of the 
coast, but never produced so extraordinary an 
effect as on the present occasion. The coast line 
appeared to be formed of high chalky cliffs, 
crowned by a narrow band of woody hillocks ; 
and the land of Cape Villaret was so elevated 
