March 2.

The next morning we sailed, and attempted to steer round the western side of Malus Island; but were prevented from passing between it and Rosemary Island by the shoalness of the water.  There is, however, every reason to believe that in mid-channel the water is deep enough for any purpose; but as our persisting would have answered no end, we steered across Mermaid’s Strait, and by sunset were abreast of Cape Bruguieres, so named by Captain Baudin, round which the land trended to East by South, forming the south side of a shoal strait, separating Gidley Island from Captain Baudin’s Legendre Island:  the latter is a narrow, long, rocky island, lying East-South-East and West-North-West, and is of a lower character than the islands to the southward of it.  We anchored under the North-West end of this island.

March 3.

But the ground was so uneven and rocky that we considered ourselves fortunate in recovering the anchor the next morning without breaking it; for during the night the anchor dragged and hooked a rock; on weighing it, however, the rock proved to be rotten and broke away.  The strait between Legendre and Gidley Islands is full of shoals, which at daylight being dry, were covered with immense flights of pelicans and other water-fowl.

During the day and following night we were becalmed off the north side of Legendre Island.

March 4.

The next day we passed round its South-East end, and, at sunset, anchored in a deep bay.  Off the South-East end of Legendre Island the sea is very full of reefs and dry rocks, but between Hauy and Delambre Islands there is a safe channel of nine and ten fathoms deep.

The bay in which we had anchored was called, at Mr. Roe’s request, Nickol’s Bay; it is open only to the North-East, and affords safe shelter, with good holding-ground.  At the bottom of the bay, on both sides of a projecting point of land, on which three round-backed hills were conspicuous, the coast falls back, and forms two bights, the western of which is backed by very low land, lined with mangroves; and may probably contain a small rivulet:  the other is smaller, but the land behind it is higher than in the western bay, which of the two appears to be of the most importance; but as the tide did not flow at a greater rate than a quarter of a knot, very little was attached to any opening that may exist there.

At this anchorage we experienced another squall, similar to that off Cape Preston, but not so severe; the sand was blown over us from the shore, although we were at least two miles distant from it.

March 5.