Macquarie Harbour. 
19 
boat assumes an extraordinary position, and certainly not 
a very agreeable one to the poor passenger ; for the stem 
points nearly perpendicular to the sky, whilst the stern 
makes a corresponding point to the antipodes, the sea in 
a complete foam surrounding it. But the crew, fine stout 
fellows, know what they are about,—not a word is said,— 
in a second down comes the boat over the wave on her 
keel with a thump sufficient, one would think, to knock 
every timber out of her. The danger is now, however, 
overcome, and the bark, propelled by six sinewy pairs of 
arms, once more glides smoothly on. 
To protect the station, there was a guard of three 
soldiers, who were occasionally relieved from the settle¬ 
ment. 
The ‘ * Gates” is a narrow passage, about twenty yards 
across; it widens almost immediately. After heavy 
rains, when freshes come down the Gordon and other 
rivers, and the tide is going out, the water runs through 
this passage with great rapidity. On such occasions, in 
going through the channel, tvhich runs close to the 
rocks forming the south bank, the sensation one ex¬ 
periences is most painful to the nerves ; for you appear 
at every instant as if nothing could prevent the craft 
from being dashed to pieces against the jutting points of 
the rock : round each point, however, she sails in safety, 
nor have we heard of any accident from this cause. A 
boat pulling against this current can only stem it by 
keeping close to the north shore, and, even then, they 
do not go a quarter of a mile an hour. 
After passing the Gates, there are some extensive flats, 
part of which are dry at ebb; the channel runs along the 
south shore as far as “ Round Head,” it then inclines to 
the north east, through “ Kelly’s Channel,” till it reaches 
deep water. In a part of this channel, called the “ Inner 
Bar,” there is only nine feet of water. In the passage 
c 2 
