Traces of inhabitants were found upon all the shores where we landed, but the natives kept out of sight after the little skirmish on the first day of our arrival; they subsist partly on turtle, and possess bark canoes and scoop nets.  We saw three turtle lying on the water, but were not so fortunate as to procure any.  Fish seemed to be plentiful, and some were speared by Bongaree, who was a constant attendant in my boat; and yet our efforts with the seine were altogether unsuccessful.  The shores abound with oysters, amongst which, in the upper parts of the port, was the kind producing pearls; but being small and discoloured, they are of no value.  The attempts made near the ship with the dredge, to procure larger oysters from the deep water, were without success.

I saw no quadrupeds in the woods, and almost no birds; but there were some pelicans, gulls, and curlews about the shores and flats.  Fresh water was found in small pools on both sides of the northern entrance, and at the point of Hill View I met with some in holes; but that which best merits the attention of a ship, is the rill found by Mr. Murray at the back of the small beach within Gatcombe Head.

The latitude of our anchorage at the northern entrance, from four meridian altitudes of the sun, is 23 deg. 44’ 16” south.

Six sets of distances of the sun west of the moon, taken by lieutenant Flinders, would make the longitude 151 deg. 21’ 22” east; the two time keepers gave 151 deg. 20’ 10”; and fifty sets of distances, reduced from Broad Sound by the survey, which I consider to be the best authority, place the anchorage in 151 deg. 20’ 15” east.

These being reduced by the survey to the southern entrance, place Gatcombe Head in latitude 23 deg. 521/2 deg.  S. longitude 151 deg. 24’ E.

No variations were observed at the anchorage; but two amplitudes off Gatcombe Head gave 11 deg. 11’, and azimuths with three compasses, 10 deg. 50’ east, the ship’s head being W. S. W. and W. N. W. These being reduced to the meridian, will give the true variation to be 8 deg. 40’ east.

This is an increase of near 2 deg. from Bustard Bay; and seems attributable to the attraction of the granitic land which lay to the westward, and drew the south end of the needle that way.

The rise of tide at the place where I slept near the head of the port, was no more than four feet; but upon the rocky islet in the northern entrance, there were marks of its having risen the double of that quantity.  The time of high water was not well ascertained, but it will be between eight and nine hours after the moon’s passage over and under the meridian.

MONDAY 9 AUGUST 1902

On getting under way at daylight of the 9th, to prosecute the examination of the coast, the anchor came up with an arm broken off, in consequence of a flaw extending two-thirds through the iron.  The negligence with which this anchor had been made, might in some cases have caused the loss of the ship.