The tides do not run strong in Shoal-water Bay, the rate seldom exceeding one knot; but they stir up the soft mud at the bottom., and make the water thick, as in Keppel Bay.  I am not able to speak very accurately of the rise in the tide; but it may be reckoned at twelve or fourteen feet at the neaps, and from seventeen to eighteen at the springs.  High water takes place about ten hours and a half after the moon’s passage; but on the east side of the bay, the flood runs up a full hour later.

The latitude of the north-east end of Aken’s Island, from an observation in the artificial horizon, is 22 deg. 21’ 35” south.

Longitude from twelve sets of distances of the sun and moon, taken by lieutenant Flinders, and reduced to the same place, 150 deg. 18’ 45”; but from the survey, and the position afterwards fixed in Broad Sound, it is preferably 150 deg. 15’ 0” east.

Variation from azimuths taken with a theodolite at the same place, 9 deg. 48’; but the bearings on the top of the eminence showed it to be 9 deg. 0’.  The variation on shore, on the west side of the bay, may therefore be taken at 9 deg. 24’ east.

Upon Mount Westall on the east side, and at the south end of Leicester Island, it was from the bearings 8 deg. 50’.  Upon the small islet at the head of the bay, 9 deg. 25’.

At our anchorage on the west side of the bay, Mr. Flinders took azimuths when the ship’s head was S. E. by E., which gave 6 deg. 31’ by one compass; before he had done, the ship swung to the flood tide with her head W. N. W., and two other compasses then gave 11 deg. 27’ and 11 deg. 4’:  the mean corrected to the meridian, will be 8 deg. 46’ east.

At an anchorage towards the east side of the bay, the same officer observed the variation with two compasses, when the head was east, to be 4 deg. 49’, or corrected, 7 deg. 21’ east.

The difference in Strong-tide Passage, where the land was one mile to the south-south-east on one side, and the same to the west on the other, was still more remarkable; for when the head was N. E. by N., an amplitude gave me 9 deg. 10’, or corrected, 10 deg. 34’ east.

There might have been an error in any of the ship observations of half a degree; but I am persuaded that the attraction of the land, sometimes to the east and sometimes west, as the ship was near one or the other side of the bay, was the great cause of the difference in the corrected results; and it will presently be seen, that the effect on a neighbouring part of the coast was much more considerable.

CHAPTER III.

Departure from Shoal-water Bay, and anchorage in Thirsty Sound. 
Magnetical observations. 
Boat excursion to the nearest Northumberland Islands. 
Remarks on Thirsty Sound. 
Observations at West Hill, Broad Sound. 
Anchorage near Upper Head. 
Expedition to the head of Broad Sound: 
another round Long Island. 
Remarks on Broad Sound, and the surrounding country. 
Advantages for a colony. 
Astronomical observations, and remarks on the high tides.