The PERCY ISLES have also been described by Captain Flinders; the bay at the west end of Number 1 is of very steep approach and not safe to anchor in, excepting during a south-east wind:  the anchorage at Number 2, inside the Pine Islets, is bad, since the bottom is rocky; the ground is, however, clearer more to the southward; on the whole this anchorage is not insecure, since there is a safe passage out either on the north or south sides of the Pine Islets.  Wood may be procured with facility, and water also, unless the streams fail in the dry season.  Captain Flinders was at these islands at the latter end of September, and found it abundant.  The flood-tide comes from the north-east; at the anchorage in the channel, between the pine islets and Number 2, the flood sets to the south, and the ebb to the north; the maximum rate was one and a quarter knot.  High water occurred at the latter place two hours and a half before the moon’s passage; but on the following day did not precede it more than one hour and a half.  Captain Flinders mentions high water taking place on shore at eight hours after the moon’s passage. (Vide Flinders volume 2 page 82.) The tide rose twelve feet when the moon was thirteen days old.  The north-west end of Number 1 is in latitude 21 degrees 44 minutes 50 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 16 minutes 40 seconds; south-west end of Number 2 is in latitude 21 degrees 40 minutes 50 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 13 minutes.

In passing SHOAL POINT, in latitude 21 degrees 0 minutes 5 seconds, longitude 149 degrees 7 minutes 40 seconds, Captain Cook’s ship got into shoal water, and at one time had as little as three fathoms (Hawkesworth volume 3 page 131); and the merchant ship Lady Elliot, in the year 1815, met with a sandbank extending from the island off the point in a north-east direction for ten miles, on one part of which she found only nine feet water.

The Mermaid passed the point at the distance of three miles, and, when the island bore South 68 degrees West, distant two miles and a half, had four and three-quarter fathoms, which was the least water that was found, but, being then high water, five or six feet, if not more, may be deducted, to reduce it to the proper low water sounding.  There was no appearance of shoaler water near us, and it is probable that Captain Cook’s and the Lady Elliot’s tracks were farther off shore.  The variation of the compass, six miles east of Point Slade, was 7 degrees 11 minutes East.

CAPE HILLSBOROUGH is a projection terminating in a bluff point in latitude 20 degrees 53 minutes 40 seconds, and longitude 149 degrees 0 minutes 15 seconds:  being high land, it may be seen seven or eight leagues off.  The variation here is 6 degrees 30 minutes East.

The CUMBERLAND ISLES extend between the parallels of 20 and 21 degrees 6 minutes, and consist generally of elevated, rocky islands; they are all abundantly wooded, particularly with pines, which grow to a larger size than at the Percy Isles.  We did not land upon any of them; they appeared to be of bold approach, and not dangerous to navigate amongst; they are from six to eight hundred feet high, and some of the peaks on the northern island are much higher.