Before noon of the 5th we quitted Arnhem Bay, and steered northward along the chain of islands extending out from the west side of the entrance.  On approaching the north end of Probable Island the soundings diminished to 4 fathoms, and a short tack was made to the S. E.; and the flood tide becoming too strong to be stemmed with a light breeze, an anchor was dropped in 17 fathoms, sand and stones.  A dry reef had been set from Mallison’s Island, and should have lain about two miles S. E. from this anchorage; but it was not seen from the ship, being probably covered by the tide.  There were two natives, with a canoe, under Probable Island, and some others were standing on the beach; but no attempt was made to approach the ship, nor did I send on shore to them.

SUNDAY 6 MARCH 1803

In the morning we had a moderate breeze at E. S. E., and pursued the line of the main coast and islands to the northward at the distance of three or four miles, with soundings from 10 to 17 fathoms.  Both the coast and islands are in general so low and near to each other, that it was difficult to say whether some were not connected; at eleven, however, we approached two which certainly were islands, and there being a clear passage between the surrounding reefs of a mile and a half wide, we steered through it with 12 to 17 fathoms.  The north-easternmost most, which I have named after captain Cunningham of the navy, is four or five miles in circumference, and of moderate elevation; and lies in 11 deg. 47’ south and 136 deg. 6’ east by the survey.

[NORTH COAST. WESSEL’S ISLANDS.]

A third chain of islands commences here, which, like Bromby’s and the English Company’s Islands, extend out north-eastward from the coast.  I have frequently observed a great similarity both in the ground plans and elevations of hills, and of islands in the vicinity of each other; but do not recollect another instance of such a likeness in the arrangement of clusters of islands.  This third chain is doubtless what is marked in the Dutch chart as one long island, and in some charts is called Wessel’s Eylandt; which name I retain with a slight modification, calling them WESSEL’S ISLANDS.  They had been seen from the north end of Cotton’s Island to reach as far as thirty miles out from the main coast; but this is not more than half their extent, if the Dutch chart be at all correct.

At noon, when Cunningham’s Island bore from S. 1 deg. to 26 deg.  E., at the distance of two miles, the furthest visible part of Wessel’s Islands bore N. 53 deg.  E.; it was not distant, for the weather was squally with rain, and both prevented us from seeing far and obscured the sun.  To the westward, we had land at the distance of three or four miles; and from its north-east end, which is named Point Dale, three small isles with rocks extended out to the bearing of N. 16 deg.  E., which we could not weather without making a tack.  At three they were passed; and at six in the evening the outer islet bore S. 14 deg.  E., four leagues, and the most western part of the land of Point Dale, S. 36 deg.  W.; but whether this last were an island or a part of the main, was still doubtful.