From the sandy hillock within Point Dundas, S. 48 deg. 35’ E. From Harbour Rock, S. 10 39 E.

Melville Bay every where affords good holding ground, the bottom being either mud or sand; and there is depth for a ship to run between the three rocks in the middle of the bay and Drimmie Head, and steer eastward until the head is brought to bear N. N. W., at the distance of one or two miles; but the most convenient anchorage is just within the entrance, between Point Dundas and Harbour Rock, where a ship may lie close to the sandy beach in from 3 to 5 fathoms.  Even within the rock there is depth enough; and were moorings laid down, four or five sail might swing there in perfect security.  We obtained here fire wood, and a tolerable supply of fish; and had water been wanted, it might have been obtained by digging at the foot of the small hills to the north-east of Harbour Rock, since a hole made there by the natives was found to contain good water.

The stone on the north side of Melville Bay is a granitic composition of quartz, mica, and coarse garnets; the garnets are large, and give the stone a plum-pudding-like appearance, and when polished, it would be beautiful:  over the granite is a crust of calcareous rock in many places.  On the south side of the bay the stone is argillaceous, but frequently mixed with ferruginous grains; and on the south-east side the rocks are of iron ore, of which a small piece drew the needle of my theodolite 8 deg. from the meridian.  The bearings taken here were found to have been 50 deg. wrong; but too late to ascertain whether the error arose from the attraction of the shore, or from the needle having been placed at 310 deg. by mistake, instead of 360 deg..

There did not appear to be any rich soil on the borders of the bay; but on the south and eastern sides the country was covered with an agreeable intermixture of grass and trees, and better adapted for cattle than any I have seen in so low a latitude.  The soil, though not deep, would produce most things suited to the climate; for the heat and moisture do so much for vegetation, that very little earth seems necessary to its support.  On the south side the trees are mostly different species of eucalyptus, growing tall and straight, though not large; whereas on the sandy parts of Point Dundas, a casuarina, of the same species as seen at Coen River and other parts of the gulph, was most abundant, and served us for fuel.  A santalum, more nearly allied to the true sandel wood than any before seen in this country, was found on the borders of the bay.