also the absence or scantiness of vegetables.  Most of the men, moreover, experience a constant yearning for home, which, yearly increasing, terminates in despondency, and leaves them open to the attacks of disease.  Scorbutic symptoms were at one period very prevalent, arising principally from the poor form of diet; similar cases occurred in a former settlement on that part of the coast, from the same causes; but although Port Essington has been of late visited by sickness, I do not consider it by any means an unhealthy spot.)

Considering Port Essington as a harbour of refuge for the crews of ships wrecked in Torres Strait, it is certainly far removed from the scene of distress; and looking upon it in this light only, a military station at Cape York would probably be attended with greater benefit and less expense, though, as it might be expected to meet with annoyance from the natives of the islands in Torres Strait, who are badly disposed and wander over a great space in search of plunder, the party should not be very small.  There is, moreover, no real harbour; but, at the same time, as the post would be on a low narrow projection, with a seabreeze sweeping over it in either monsoon, it would doubtless be cooler than at Port Essington.

I may observe that the only instance that came under my immediate notice of the benefit of a harbour of refuge on the north coast, was that of a vessel wrecked too far to the westward to reach Cape York, the crew of which arrived at Port Essington in their boats.

It was in some measure at the request of the surgeon, in order to alleviate Mr. Fitzmaurice’s great sufferings by a little rest, that our stay was lengthened to September 7th, when we left in the morning.*

(Footnote.  While steering North by East 1/2 East for Point Record, we discovered a bank of 4 1/2 fathoms, with 7 and 8 on each side.  When just off it, to the northward, in 7 fathoms, the west extreme of Point Record bore North 19 1/4 East, and its east extreme North 35 1/4 East, and the north-east end of Spear Point North 59 degrees West.)

SAHUL SHOAL.

By noon we had cleared the heads of Port Essington, and a course was then shaped for the supposed Sahul Shoal, the northern and central parts of which we passed over without finding any remarkable decrease in the soundings.*

(Footnote.  This clearly proved that our knowledge of the extent of the Sahul Bank was very imperfect.  It appears that between the latitudes 11 degrees 0 minutes South and 11 degrees 25 minutes South, and the longitudes 125 degrees 20 minutes East and 125 degrees 50 minutes East, there are no less than six patches of coral known, of 12 and 16 fathoms.  It is my belief that the whole of this shoal, if it merit the name, lies between the latitudes of 11 degrees 15 minutes South and 11 degrees 35 minutes South, and the longitudes of 123 degrees 35 minutes East and 124 degrees 15 minutes East.)