The expanse of water presented to our view in standing up Port Essington, quite delighted us.  It is in truth a magnificent harbour, and well worthy of having on its shores the capital of Northern Australia, destined, doubtless, from its proximity to India, and our other fast-increasing eastern possessions, to become not only a great commercial resort, but a valuable naval post in time of war.  Many circumstances combine to render it a desirable station.  Its great size, having an extent sufficient to hold the largest fleet, is in itself of vast importance, while, as a shelter for distressed vessels, or the surviving crews of wrecks, it cannot be too highly rated:  the more so that excellent wood for repairing ships grows in the neighbourhood, especially teak and oak, specimens of which with others, Captain Laws forwarded, in 1828, to one of the dockyards in England.

As we advanced the shores of the harbour contracted, and at the distance of thirteen miles from the entrance are only one mile apart; scarcely half, however, of this space is navigable, from a bank extending off the west side, which is a rocky head called Spear Point, from the circumstance of Captain King having been there nearly speared by the natives.  The bearings for clearing the extremes of this reef are as follows.  For the south-eastern, Adam Head South 20 degrees West, for the eastern, Middle Head South 18 degrees West, and for the north-eastern, Oyster Head North 47 degrees West.  This great decrease in the breadth of the passage, necessarily gives the tide at this spot great rapidity, by which a channel, thirteen fathoms deep, has been formed close to the eastern shore, a low sandy tongue of land called Point Record.  This name was given to it on the occasion of Port Essington and the contiguous country, being taken possession of by Sir Gordon Bremer when on his way to settle Melville Island, in 1824.  A bottle containing an account of their proceedings was buried, and hence the name.  The same cause which influences the tides, has rendered the sides of the narrow channel very steep, and a vessel standing towards the bank fronting Spear Point, should, accordingly, tack when the water shoals to nine fathoms, as the soundings in approaching that part fronting Port Record are 12, 9, 7, and 2 fathoms.

Beyond these points, the harbour again widens and forms a large basin nearly five miles in extent; but from a broad point projecting two miles from the south-east side, the inner harbour is proportionably decreased in size.  From the extreme of this cliffy point, called by Captain King, from its position, Middle Head, a narrow bank extends some distance in the direction of Point Record, forming the only danger in this part of the harbour.

BEARINGS FOR THE HARBOUR.

From its outer edge, Point Record bears north, and the North-East part of Middle Head, South 76 degrees East.  These and other bearings recently given, will perhaps be considered of little value by the general reader, but as they were required to take the Beagle into Port Essington, they will be found useful to others for the same purpose.