SAILING DIRECTIONS, 
2srj 
but it is probable that they may be covered by the tide. 
The continuation of the shoal between the islands and Point 
Lookout was not clearly ascertained. 
At POINT MURDOCFI, which has a peaked hill at its 
extremity, the hills again approach the coast; at Cape 
Bowen they project into the sea, and separate two bays, in 
each of which there is possibly a rivulet; that to the east- 
ward of the cape trends in and forms a deep bight. On the 
western side of the hills of Cape Bowen there is a track of 
low land, separating them from another rocky range. The 
summit of the hill at Point Murdoch is in latitude 14° 40', 
and longitude 144° 46'. 
HOWICK’S GROUP consists of ten or eleven islands, of 
which No. 1, remarkable for a hillock at its south-east end, 
is in latitude 14° 32' 40", and longitude 144° 55' 20"; it is 
nearly three miles long ; the rest are all less than half a mile 
in extent, excepting the westernmost. No. 6, which is nearly 
a mile and a half in diameter. 
The passage between 2 and 3 is safe, and has seven and 
eight fathoms ; the north-west side of 3 is of rocky ap- 
proach, but the opposite side of the strait is bold to ; the 
anchorage is tolerably good. The Mermaid drove, but 
it was not considered to be caused by the nature of the bot- 
tom, which is of soft sand, and free from rocks. 
The channel between 1 and 2 appeared to be very rocky, 
and shoal : between 1 and the reef r there is probably a 
clear channel of about a mile wide : the north-east end of 1 
has a reef which extends off it for half a mile. 
* Many shoals, partly dry, occupy the space to the northward 
and eastward of Howick’s Group . — Roe MS, 
A. 
Sect. II. 
N. East 
Coast. 
