About a quarter of a mile off the main, and fronting the south side of this island, there is a singular needle-shaped rock, 20 feet high, marking the outer extreme of a coral ledge, which is covered at high-water.  As it now blew a fresh breeze from seaward, and the afternoon was far advanced, we spent the remainder of the day in a further examination of the entrance.  We were much pleased with the result of our evening’s work, finding the approach to this fine harbour quite free from danger, and capable of admitting vessels of any size; there were no reefs or islets seaward of it to add to the anxiety of the navigator, or lessen the value of our discovery; the importance of which will be greatly enhanced, should Lieutenants Grey and Lushington have the good fortune to discover any land fit for colonization in its neighbourhood.  Our labours here closed with observations for a boat rate, for the chronometers and latitude, the latter being 15 degrees 27 1/4 minutes South on a sandy beach at the eastern side of Entrance Isle.

SLATE ISLANDS.

April 9.

We rounded the extreme point to the South-West seen from Entrance Isle at sunrise; the rocks on this point were arranged quite in the form of a fort, from whence it received the name of Battery Point; another group of islands now came in view, bearing from Battery Point South-West by South about 4 miles; these we named Slate Islands, from their singular formation.  They extended one mile North-West from a point of land; between them and Battery Point, the coast fell back forming two bays, crossing the mouths of which we had 13 fathoms.  On passing Slate Islands, we saw a headland, named by Captain King Point Hall, bearing South by West 1/2 West distant 8 miles.  It has a high peaked and isolated appearance, being separated from the contiguous high land by a low neck.  We passed a bay 2 miles wide on its north-eastern, and a snug cove on its south-eastern side.  It was past noon and we were glad to see the stagnant calm, that had for hours reigned around, dispelled by the seabreeze which now darkened the horizon.  Our course, during the afternoon was South by East along a low rocky coast, but as we had to contend with a three-knot tide, we did not get farther than a small sandy cove, bearing South by East 9 miles from Point Hall, by the close of the day, which was the only spot we had seen the whole of the afternoon capable of affording shelter for the boats.

FRESHWATER COVE.

We were agreeably surprised to find a stream of water running into the head of this cove, as the parched appearance of the low hills over it did not lead us to expect such good luck, in remembrance of which we called it Freshwater Cove.  Landing, I hastened to the south point of the cove, to secure the necessary data for the chart, before the surrounding objects were veiled in darkness.  We again appeared to be in a sterile white sandstone region, where, with the exception of a few land birds, there was a total