Return to the vessel.

On our return to the ship I proposed that we should now touch at the more northern river where we were deterred from landing by their first appearance.  We went therefore to the mouth of the river, which is completely blocked up by sandhills, with two or three small gaps through which water appeared to have made its way at some time; but the entire of the bed of the river, which was only a few yards wide, was covered with growing samphire.  There were two or three small pools of very salt water above this, but no fresh water visible.  We took a hasty view from a high sandhill.  The interior, where we could see anything of it, looked grassy, and there was some grass even on the sandhills near the beach; but our view was very limited and hurried.  We had no sooner returned to the boat than we saw a party coming along the beach about a quarter of a mile away, and another party on the top of the hill above, where we first saw them and where we supposed their weapons to have been left.  They shouted, we went on board.

Sail to the southward.  Port grey.

Sunday morning.

Weighed anchor and stood to the south to examine a bay opposite the southern part of Moresby’s Flat-topped Range.  This bay, which is not laid down in the charts, was found to be an excellent anchorage, completely sheltered from all southerly winds, which are the prevailing winds on this coast at this time of the year, and also much protected by a reef running north and south from the extreme point of the bay.  This reef or bank was found to have from three to five fathoms upon it, and within it there was seven fathoms, even near to the shore, at the bottom of the bay; and there is no appearance of any heavy sea or violent action of the water on the beach at any time of the year.*

(Footnote.  The report of this bay by the Master of the Champion is as follows:  26th January 1840.  Anchored in a bay not laid down in the charts, lying in latitude 28 degrees 50 minutes, the north land bearing north-north-west, and the south point south-west.  A reef breaks off the point, the north part of which bore west-south-west; but it extends far more to the north, and breaks, I presume, in bad weather.  The reefs extend also a great way to the westward of this point.  We anchored about half a mile from the shore in seven fathoms water, and about three miles from the head of the bay.  The soundings are exceedingly even for five miles, carrying seven fathoms, never varying:  just before, we carried four and five, when, I think, we passed over the reef, which appears to me to join the main at that distance from the south-west point.  The beach does not show the least sign of any sea.  Found two posts stuck up in it.  I consider this bay an excellent anchorage during summer; and, I think, from the appearance of the beach, it must be safe in winter.)