At daylight the next morning we steered round the land, and passing under the base of Mount Roe, we entered a strait that separates it from Greenhill Island; which is remarkable for having its north-west end terminated by a conspicuous bluff.  The coast now took an easterly direction as far as the eye could reach, with a channel of from three to eight miles broad between it and a range of islands (which were named in compliment to the late Vice-Admiral Sir George Hope, K.C.B., then holding a seat in the Board of Admiralty).  At noon the tide began to ebb, when we anchored near the land at about six miles east of Mount Roe.

The thermometer now ranged between 80 and 90 degrees, but the heat was by no means oppressive.

April 29.

By the next day at noon we had penetrated four leagues within Sir George Hope’s Islands, when the water became so shoal that we could not approach an opening that was seen in the land to the south-eastward; after trying in several directions, the cutter was anchored, and Mr. Roe was sent to sound in a south direction in search of a passage out; but, as it appeared to be shoal and some parts were already dry, it was decided that we should return by the way we came; since our object was not so much to lay down the extent of the banks and directions of the channels, as to find rivers, and trace the coastline.  The opening to the South-East of our anchorage certainly appeared to be sufficiently interesting to examine, but we had formed very sanguine expectations of discovering something of much greater importance at the bottom of the bay, and we were naturally anxious to reach it as soon as possible.

On constructing the chart of this part of the coast, it appeared that the land to the eastward of this anchorage is an isthmus four or five miles in breadth, separating the body of water from the bottom of Mountnorris Bay.  The peninsula thus formed was honoured by the appellation of Cobourg, after His Royal Highness Prince Leopold.

During the day large smokes were observed on the south horizon, without any appearance of land near them.

1818.  May 1.

On our way out we anchored under one of Sir George Hope’s Islands, which, on the occasion of our landing upon it the next morning (1st May), was called May-day Island:  it is about two miles long, and nearly the same distance across; its formation appears to have been originally of sand that has accumulated upon a rocky basis, and has gradually grown into an island; it is thickly covered with a forest of dwarf trees and impenetrable brushwood.  Some recent impressions of a human foot on the sand below high-water mark were seen, and several old fireplaces, and one or two of more recent date were observed, around which were strewed the remains of shell-fish repasts; the natives, however, did not make their appearance.

When returning on board we endeavoured to pass out between May-day and Greenhill Islands, but a bar of sand that appeared to stretch across obstructed our progress:  the weather being fine and the sea very smooth, we endeavoured to force her over, but as we did not succeed, we anchored for the night near our former position, to the eastward of Mount Roe.