Coasts of Australia. 
57 
N.W. in the afternoon, with the sun ahead, and looking 
out for a covered reef. When near it, steer north, 
bringing the reef west of the sun ; the southern part of it 
will then be easily seen, and a course may be shaped 
along it. Again, should there be a space to the wind¬ 
ward, steer in that direction, bringing the reef north of 
the sun. It is difficult to discern the leeward edges of 
well-covered reefs, the water being discoloured some dis¬ 
tance off by the sand, mud, and shells washing from 
them. This occurs particularly between Fitzroy Island 
and Cape Tribulation. 
Attention to the tides will often save much anxiety. 
High and low water alter the appearance of the reefs 
more than is generally believed, although the rise of tide 
may not be more than from four to eight feet. Hence 
arise the different reports of the same reef being covered 
and uncovered. 
High water takes place on the full and change day 
(when the tides are tolerably regular), between 10 h 00 m 
and ll h 30 m along the whole range of the N.E. coast. 
The main stream of flood comes from the southward -. 
there are branch tides flowing into the deep bays trending 
southward in some parts of the coast. 
In the Beagle we always noticed a current setting be¬ 
tween N.jSWV. and N.W. from J to knots hourly: 
its direction is greatly influenced by the trend of the 
coast, and the uncovered reefs and its strength by wind, 
flood, or ebb stream of tide, and the confined or open 
space of sea. 
On the 25th June, 1841, we left four merchant ships 
to which we had given convoy from Breaksea Spit, and 
stood down from Endeavour Straits into the Gulf of 
Carpentaria. The wind was S.E., and the season of the 
year such that we could carefully examine the shore in 
boats: but it was extremely difficult to detect the 
