the low grounds and the sides of the hills, and plantains, with some other fruits, had been brought to us.  There were many Indians sitting in groups upon the shore, and the seven canoes which came off to the ship in the morning, contained from ten to twenty men each, or together, about a hundred.  If we suppose these hundred men to have been one half of what belonged to the islands, and to the two hundred men add as many women and three hundred children, the population of Murray’s Isles will amount to seven hundred; of which nearly the whole must belong to the larger island.

The latitude of the highest hill, deduced from that of the ship at the following noon, is 9 deg. 54’ south, and longitude by the time keeper corrected, 144 deg. 2’ east; being 3’ north, and 20’ east of its position by captain Edwards.  A regular tide of about one knot an hour set E. by S. and W. by N., past the ship; and by her swinging, it was high water at half an hour after midnight, or about ten hours and a half after the moon had passed over the meridian.  The bottom seemed to be loose at our anchorage; but were these islands examined, it is probable that better ground and shelter would be found on their western sides.  I distinguished from the mast head the north end of a reef, three miles distant to the W. N. W.; but could not see whether it joined the reef surrounding the large island.  At N. N. W. 3/4 W. four miles, was the south-west end of another reef; and when we got under way at half past eight in the morning, our course was directed between the two.

Ripplings of a suspicious appearance caused the whale boat to be kept ahead for some time; but finding no ground upon them with 30 fathoms, and the breeze becoming fresh, the boat was called on board.  At 9h 40’ the following bearings were taken: 

Darnley’s Island, highest part, N. 39 deg.  W. Murray’s Islands, the largest, S. 58 deg. to 40 E. Murray’s Islands, two smaller, nearly touching, S. 36 to 27 E. Rippling off the N. end of a reef, dist. 1/2 mile, S. W. 1/2 W. East end of a reef, distant 11/2 miles, N. 6 E.

Mr. Westall’s second view of Murray’s Isles was taken from this position.  (Atlas Pl.  XVIII.  View 11.)

Knowing the difficulties experienced by captain Bligh and Mr. Bampton in the northern part of the strait, I kept as much up to the southward, for Cape York, as the direction of the reefs would admit.  On the windward side, we had a long chain of them extending W. S. W. to a great distance; but its breadth was not great, as the blue water was seen beyond it, from the mast head.  On the north side there was no regular chain, and but one reef of much extent; small patches were indeed announced every now and then, from aloft, but these did not cause us much impediment; the greatest was from two right in our track; but being a mile apart, we passed between them at eleven o’clock.