age of the world.  The history of these coral reefs and islands, which have already attained something like a majority (if I may use the expression) may be read, at least it is apparently clearly written in the rising banks around, which are just struggling with the tide before they lift themselves forever beyond its reach.  As they rise, the mangrove, the pioneer of such fertility as the sea deposits, hastens to maturity, clothing them with its mantle of never-fading green, and thus bestowing on these barren reefs the presence of vegetable life.

WHIRLPOOL CHANNEL.

Our course now lay along the western foot of the curious headland just described, a rapid tide soon hurried us past its frowning shadows into a very winding channel scarcely half a mile wide, and more than 20 fathoms deep; in this we experienced violent whirlpools, the first of which, from want of experience, handled us very roughly, suddenly wrenching the oars out of the men’s hands, and whirling the boat round with alarming rapidity; after several round turns of this kind we shot out of the channel (which from the above circumstance we called Whirlpool Channel) into a bay about three miles wide, trending east; at the head of it were some snug coves, the shores of which were clothed with long rich grass and clumps of palm trees, thus realizing the hopes we had entertained of finding a more fertile country on first observing signs of inhabitants.  We would fain have occupied one of these beautiful coves for the night, but as there was still two hours’ daylight, we pushed on across the bay for a group of islands three miles further in a north-north-east direction.  We obtained snug quarters for the night in a little sandy cove, between the largest of this small cluster of isles which we found to differ totally in shape and character from any yet seen; they trended North-North-West in narrow ridges, and were of a grey slate formation, their eastern sides formed steep precipices, while the western subsided to the water in rich grassy slopes, leaving quite a serrated ridge on their summits.

BATHURST ISLAND.

We managed to reach the most elevated part of the highest island, by crawling along its ridge on our hands and knees.  From this station I recognized the islands to the North-West to be those forming the eastern shore of Sunday Strait, and from the westerly trend of some larger ones bearing North-East about eight miles, I rightly supposed them to be the same Captain King had laid down off that part of the coast, where it trends away to the eastward into Collier Bay; the largest of these I in consequence named Bathurst Island, after his vessel.  We were glad to find the islands becoming less numerous, and a prospect of at last making our way to the eastward.  We just finished our observations, as the sun’s bright orb touched the distant horizon, and ere we reached the boat, the last vestige of day had taken its silent flight.  Our present position in this network of islands, will be better described by giving it in latitude and longitude, which we found to be 16 degrees 12 minutes South and 123 degrees 32 minutes East.  We had as usual a fine night with a light East-South-East breeze, which had succeeded a strong one from South-East during the day.