from the westward for a short time. The morning broke, however, with a
moderate South-South-East breeze, accompanied by constant heavy rain; the
temperature, before daylight, was 61 degrees.

(*Footnote. Our observations place Point Inscription in latitude 17
degrees 6 minutes 50 seconds South and longitude 7 degrees 28 minutes 30
seconds East of Port Essington; variation, 4 degrees 35 minutes easterly:
the time of high-water at the full and change, was 8 A.M., when the tide
rose 9 feet; the stream changes to the northward two hours before
high-water. At other times the change takes place about one hour before.
The direction of the flood is South by West and that of the ebb North;
the strength of the former is from half a knot to one knot an hour, and
of the latter, three quarters of a knot to one and a half. Near the full
and change days there is no slack water; the northerly stream is then
longer by two hours: during the neaps they are more equal, each being of
twelve hours duration.)

Our operations were completed by the 19th, but in consequence of strong
winds from the South-South-East we did not leave before the 21st; when,
beating out against a fresh breeze,* we stood over towards the main to
the south-west of Bentinck Island, but found the water so shallow that we
could not approach within eight miles.

(*Footnote. The west point of Sweers Island, bearing North 10 degrees
East and the east point of Bentinck Island, North 8 degrees East mark the
limits of each board. The north-west part of Sweers Island just shut in
with Point Inscription leads in, and the dry part of the reef off the
south-east end of Sweers Island, bearing South 85 degrees East, clears
the reef off the south end of Sweers and Fowler Islands. A white patch of
cliff to the northward of Point Inscription, in one with it, leads over