The next morning, before we got under weigh, we landed at the mouth of a small salt-water inlet, which trended in among the mangroves:  having climbed a hill, we had a distinct view of the bottom of the port, which, at the distance of eight miles higher up, closed to a narrow opening, and then widened to a spacious inner harbour.  The country is here thickly, and in some parts almost impenetrably, clothed with eucalyptus, acacia, pandanus, fan palms, and various other trees; whilst the beaches are in some parts studded, and in others thickly lined with mangroves.  The soil is chiefly of a gray sandy earth, and in some parts might be called even rich; there were, however, very few places that could bear so favourable a character.  The climate seems here to favour vegetation so much that the quality of the soil appears to be of minor importance, for everything thrives and looks verdant.

Having returned on board we got under weigh, and steered for the narrow opening at the bottom of the port.  On reaching it, the water deepened, but we were obliged to anchor, and sound the channel, before we succeeded in entering the inner harbour, which we found to be a spacious sheet of water, divided into two bays by a projecting cliffy point, which from its situation was called Middle Head.  There we remained at anchor until the 23rd, during which time the shores of the inner harbour were examined, and visits made to various parts of it.

The shores of the inner harbour are thickly wooded to the beach, which is fronted by mudflats, that at low water are dry for a considerable distance.

On the western point of entrance, we found the remains of a wrecked canoe, and upon further search Mr. Bedwell discovered a spear which was altogether different from any that we had before seen; it was headed with a sharp pointed splinter of quartz, about four inches long, and an inch and a half broad; the shaft was of the mangrove-tree, seven feet eight inches long, and appeared, from a small hole at the end, to have been propelled by a throwing-stick; the stone head was fastened on by a ligature of plaited grass, covered by a mass of gum:  it was the most formidable weapon of the sort we had ever yet seen.

April 22.

At the bottom of the western basin one of our people found the skeleton of a human body; and the skull and some of the bones were brought on board, but they were too imperfect to be worth preserving.  The traces of natives were found every where, but they did not show themselves.  In one of our excursions a tree was observed that had been cut down by some sharp instrument, and we had afterwards reason to believe that the natives were possessed of iron tools, which they might have obtained from the Malays.  A curious mound, constructed entirely of shells, rudely heaped together, measuring thirty feet in diameter, and fourteen feet in height, was also noticed near the beach, and was supposed to be a burying-place of the Indians.