CAPE FLINDERS.

Between the rocks off Cape Melville, and a reef encircling two small islets, the channel is not more than a mile in width:  indeed, I consider passing this point and Cape Flinders the most intricate part of the inner route.  After rounding the rocks off the former we steered for the latter Cape, keeping it a little on the port bow; this course led us on reef a, lying midway between the Cape and a low island to the North-East.  When on the southern extremity Cape Flinders bore South 70 degrees West 3 miles, and Clack Island North 39 degrees West.  The latter is a remarkable cliffy lump, interesting from the circumstance of Mr. Cunningham having found native drawings in its caves.

After clearing this danger, and passing the Cape, we steered across Princess Charlotte Bay, keeping wide to the southward of the reefs fronting it, in order that we might the more easily distinguish them; the sun at that time of the day being in the direction of the ship’s head.  The soundings gradually decreased with a soft muddy bottom, as we approached the eastern shores of the bay; which is so large and free from shoals, that a vessel not wishing to anchor might pass the night standing off and on with perfect safety.  There is over the head of this bay a remarkable level-topped hill, called by Captain Cook, Janes’ tableland; rendered the more conspicuous from the low nature of the surrounding country.

SECTION OF CORAL REEF.

In the evening we anchored a mile from the South-West side of a small detached reef, marked F in the chart, and distant 22 miles from Cape Flinders; the solitary position of this reef, it being four miles from the inner edge of the Great Barrier, and nine from the nearest part of the main, gave us a good opportunity of making a section, with a view of illustrating the progressive structure of coral edifices, in the still waters within the barrier reef; we accordingly visited the spot in the evening, and being an interesting object, we give a drawing of the section.

It proved a good specimen of the circular or lagoon reef.  One young mangrove was growing on the elevated part marked C in the woodcut.  The rim which rose on all sides was quite black, but white when broken; the highest part being about three feet above the water.  The nature of the bottom within the reef was a white sand mixed with small pieces of dead coral:  without, we found on either side soft green sandy mud with shells, the inclination of the bottom on which the reef rests, being only one degree, we may fairly infer it to be superimposed on a most extensive basis.

CLAREMONT ISLES.

July 7.

To-day being Sunday we did not proceed further than Number 4 of the Claremont Isles, a low rocky group encircled by coral reefs, to give the ship’s company a run on shore during the afternoon; in order to remind them of its being a day of rest appointed by the Lord.  When we anchored, we found, contrary to the usual north-westerly tendency of the current, a tide setting South-South-West three quarters of a knot an hour, this lasted for a space of four hours, when it changed, and ran North-North-West from half to three quarters of a knot during the remainder of our stay.  The wind was moderate from East-South-East.