the extreme of the shoal off the south-east end of Fowler Island.)

PROCEED TO SURVEY THE MAIN.

The boats were again sent, with Messrs. Fitzmaurice and Pasco, to
continue the examination of the shore of the Gulf, towards the head of
it, where they were to meet the ship. We made the best of our way
thither, after securing some soundings to the South-West of Sweers Island
and carrying a line eastwards from it, midway across the gulf, where we
found a very even dark sandy mud bottom, with a depth of 7 fathoms.

THE SANDHILL.

Strong south and south-east winds, which reduced the temperature, on one
occasion, to 56 degrees about 4 A.M., generally prevailed, excepting for
a few hours in the afternoon; quite reminding us of the winds we
experienced at Depuch Island on the North-west coast, and preventing us
from reaching our destination till the morning of the 24th, when we
anchored two miles and a quarter from a particularly bare sand hillock,
bearing South 53 degrees West. This was named The Sandhill, par
excellence; there being no other on the shore of the Gulf. To the
eastward there appeared an opening with a remarkable quoin-shaped clump
of tall mangroves at the entrance. It being neap tide, we were enabled to
take the ship thus close to the shore, and as it was the nearest approach
we could make to the head of the Gulf, another boat expedition was set on
foot to explore it, consisting of the yawl and gig, in which Lieutenant
Gore and myself left the ship the same afternoon. The first spot visited
was The Sandhill, which we found to be forty feet high, in latitude 17
degrees 38 minutes 20 seconds South, longitude 7 degrees 48 minutes 00
seconds East of Port Essington. From its summit we immediately perceived