thick hazy weather, rendered his progress into the opening both difficult
and hazardous: after a trial of two days, and having several narrow
escapes from getting on shore, he bore away to examine the coast to the
south-west, where he was repaid for his disappointment by the discovery
of Cambridge Gulf.

Thus did the exploration of this wide and interesting opening fall to our
good fortune; as we proceeded inwards, several beautiful medusae passed
the ship, and our hopes were roused to the highest pitch by the muddy
appearance of the water. At sun set the anchor was dropped in five
fathoms; Point Pearce, a cliffy level projection, bearing North-West by
North five miles, and about one and a half from a low rocky point.

FOSSIL HEAD.

A bluff projection, bearing South 65 degrees East seven miles, bounded
our view to the southward, and a range of sugarloaf hills, the highest
being 350 feet, rose about eight miles in the rear of it.

October 10.

We were naturally very anxious to proceed, and as soon as there was
sufficient light to read the division of the bearing compass, the ship
was gently stealing onward in the direction of the bluff, and furthest
land seen last evening to the South-East. We had not proceeded far before
we discovered a distant level range, beginning to show itself to the
right of this projection, adding still more to the zest with which we
pursued our search. The tide, however, making against us, and the wind
gradually failing, we were compelled to anchor abreast, and distant three
quarters of a mile from the north-west point of a bay two miles wide.