Bay.  In 28 fathoms, with fine sand, we passed three miles south of Lady Elliott’s Island, a small level spot about seventy feet high, fringed with a coral reef, particularly to the South-East, and forming the south eastern isle of Bunker’s Group.  It was first seen at the distance of seven miles from the Beagle’s poop, the height of the eye being fifteen feet, and at that number of miles east of it we had thirty fathoms.  The weather was still very hazy, but the wind had subsided to a light breeze from East-North-East.  After passing Breaksea Spit, a westerly current was felt of nearly a knot an hour, which was also found to be the case in June, 1841.

June 21.

The morning was bright and sunny, a happy change after several days of thick, rainy, and boisterous weather.  The remarkable features in this part of the coast, consisting of Round Hill,* Peaked Hill, and Mount Larcom, stood out in bold relief against the pure blue of an Australian sky.

(Footnote.  This hill was seen 35 miles from the Beagle’s poop, and is a good guide for Bustard Bay.  Peaked Hill we found to be 2000 feet high, and Mount Larcom 1800.  They form admirable points for fixing the position of the groups of isles fronting this part of the coast.)

CORAL BANK.

In the evening steering North-West by West we passed over a coral bank three miles wide, the least water on which was nine fathoms.  From this depth we procured a specimen of living coral.  This bank was again crossed in June, 1841, a mile and a half further to the South-West, when the depth was only seven fathoms.  It lies eight miles South-South-West from a low islet, four miles from which in a West-South-West direction is a coral patch, nearly dry.  This islet, in latitude 23 degrees 34 minutes South to which we gave the name of Mast Head, forms the south-western of a group fronting Cape Capricorn.  The latter has a hump on its extreme, resembling a haycock, and by our observations* is in latitude 23 degrees 30 minutes 30 seconds South, which is two miles south of its position in the chart.  As we were detained by light winds in the neighbourhood, I had more than one opportunity of detecting this error.  By midnight we were about 18 miles North by West from Cape Capricorn, when we felt a swell from the eastward, which assured me there was an opening in the reefs on the north side of the group of islets fronting the Cape.

(Footnote.  Hummock Island is alike in error with Cape Capricorn, but all the distant points agree with the Beagle’s observation.)

FLAT ISLAND.

June 22.

There was a light air from South-West till near noon, then one from seaward which freshened and became in the afternoon steady at South-East, a quarter it afterwards prevailed from.  We were at the time passing about three miles from Flat Island, in 27 fathoms, an increase in the soundings we had but just got into.  We were glad to find the ship’s position, fixed by points both far and near, agree with the observations, a fact I can only account for here, from the circumstance, that Flinders laid down the coast about Port Bowen by observations on shore, whereas that in the neighbourhood of Cape Capricorn, was from those made with the sea-horizon which he found differ very materially.