SAILING DIRECTIONS. 
357 
The Geog RAPHE Reefs extend for more than twelve 
miles, and perhaps are joined to the land. Their southern 
parts dry at low water. The Geographe sailed through 
them, so that it is probable they are detached in numerous 
reefs. 
At FORESTIER ISLANDS we saw the coast again. The 
main is here very low, but from the shoalness of the water 
we were not able to penetrate behind Depuch Island. It 
is very uncertain whether the coast line that is laid down 
upon the chart is correct : it was scarcely visible from the 
deck, and was so low that it might have merely been the 
dry parts of extensive reefs. The high land retires for 
fifteen or twenty miles, and forms an amphitheatre or deep 
bay, with some hills of considerable elevation in the 
distance. 
All the islands of this group are low' and sandy, excepting 
Depuch, which is high, and of a very peculiar formation ; 
it is described in the first volume, at page 145. 
We did not land upon it, but on its north-east side there 
appeared to be a bay, on which the French found a stream 
of water. 
Between Depuch Island and Cape Lambert the coast 
is very shoal. Towards the latter the hills approach the 
sea, and the bottom is deeper. Bezout Island is connected 
to the cape by a reef, on which there are several dry rocks ; 
we passed close round its north-east edge, and had eleven 
fathoms. 
To the westward of Cape Lambert, in latitude 20° 24' 30 ", 
and longitude 117° 7', there are two deep openings, which 
appeared to be merely bays, but their bottom was not dis- 
tinctly seen. On the top of the hill of the projecting point 
that separates them, there are three remarkable rocky sum- 
A. 
Sect. [V 
N.lvcst 
Coast. 
