(***Footnote.  The patch of dark bushes, breaking the sand beach to the northward, and forming one of the leading marks in, had been so thinned that it was very indistinct.  Mr. LaTrobe, however, was going to remedy this evil by erecting a beacon on that spot.)

Whilst we were at Port Phillip this time, a schooner left in a somewhat mysterious manner, on board of which was the Honourable Mr. Murray, who fell afterwards in a conflict with the pirates at Borneo.  The particulars of this gallant affair must be fresh in the recollection of my readers.

TIDES AT PORT PHILLIP.

Leaving Port Phillip,* we returned to Port Western to pick up the party we had left there.  Mr. Fitzmaurice found Cape Patterson, of which I have before spoken, to lie fourteen miles South-West by West 1/2 West from the eastern entrance of Port Western,** and twenty-one miles North 55 degrees West from Cape Liptrap, the next headland to the eastward.

(Footnote.  The result of the tidal observations made at Shortland’s Bluff, gives 12 hours 20 minutes for the time of high-water on the full and change days.  The simultaneous ones made in other parts of this great sheet of water during our stay, gave the times of high-water later as follows: 

At William Town:  1 hour 0 minutes. 
Under Arthur’s Seat:  1 hour 45 minutes. 
At Corio Harbour:  2 hours 30 minutes.

At the entrance of Port Phillip the rise at springs is only three feet and a half, when the stream makes in at 2 hours 0 minutes.  It also continues to run out from one to two hours after the water begins to rise by the shore.  The outward and inward streams differ considerably; the latter being from 5 to 5 1/2 hours’ duration, whereas the former is from 6 to 6 1/2 and 7.  The outward stream between the heads sometimes attains a strength of nearly 7 knots, and when opposed to a southerly gale, causes a sea dangerous to small craft; these gales heap the water up in all parts of the bay, particularly at William Town in the northern corner.  On such occasions there is scarcely any fall of tide perceptible near the entrance; the outward stream is then also much weaker.  In the West Channel the flood and ebb-streams have a velocity of from 1 to 2 1/2 knots; but in the south it seldom exceeds two.  Above the banks or in the inlet leading to Corio harbour there is scarcely any stream of tide perceptible; but through the channel over the bar at the latter the flood runs nearly three quarters of a knot.  Outside the entrance the ebb sets between South by East and South-South-West for seven miles, when its strength is weakened to about a knot; from thence it trends more westerly towards the mouth of the Strait.)

CAPE PATTERSON.

Five and seven miles to the westward of Cape Patterson there are two rivulets, near the former of which an inferior kind of coal crops out; it occurs in beds of the carboniferous series.  Between the two headlands above mentioned the shore falls back, forming a bight six miles deep, at the head of which is Anderson’s Inlet, six miles in extent, full of mud banks, and available for boats only.  A river, called Toluncan by the natives, empties itself into the head of it.