Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/245

 co o AUSTRALIA. '183 and tliree quarters fathoms, fine sand. At day* light the next morning, we were steering a course ju for the Percy Islands; on our way to whioh we passed three or four miles to the eastward of the 3d Nothumberlaed Island, which is a steep rock crowned with pine-trees. At eleven o'Clock we were half a mile from a low rock, that has not hitherto been noticed in the charts: it lies five miles N. 15 Q F from the island; and being very low'is dangerous for ves- sels passing near it in the night; but with the island in sight it may be easfiy avoided. Steer. ing on, we passed inside the rock ,that lies off the west end of the Percy Island, No. 1; aucl an- chored in its westernmost sandy bay, to the west- ward of the m,l!Pine Islet, at about a quarter of a mile fin the shore, in two aud a half fatloms. The bank being very steep, the anchorage was uot considered secure but, as the wind blew off the land and the weather was fine, I was retort- cried to 'remain. Upon exam'ming the beach, it was found that our water might be very con- venienfiy completed at a stream which ran over its east end. I therefore determined upon taking this opportunity of fi!!,g our casks, as well as of repairing our small whale-boat; whilst the sail- maker was employed in altering a tet, md a part of our crew in cutting wood. The birth.day of our late venerablo and good

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