an
elevation of nearly 4000 feet, the culminating point being attained at
Mount Bruce, in latitude 22 degrees 30 minutes.

From this point the country gradually falls to the Ashburton, the bed of
which river, in the same meridian as the bay, is about 1600 feet above
the sea, and the adjoining ranges not above 2200 feet, or about the same
as the country on the Gascoyne, Lyons, and Upper Murchison.

Of minerals I was unable to discover any traces, except iron. Quartz
reefs occasionally traversed the country in a north-north-east and
south-south-west direction, or nearly the same as the mineral lodes at
Champion Bay; but I could not find any instance in which this rock
offered much to indicate the probable existence of gold, it being far
surpassed in this respect by the rocks on the Upper Murchison. Coal does
not appear likely to be found within the limits of the country passed
over, unless towards the easternmost point attained by the Expedition.

With respect to the harbours on the coast, I can only speak of Nickol Bay
and the anchorage under Rosemary and the adjacent islands. The former I
consider only second to King George's Sound, as it can be entered in all
weathers, either from the north or north-east, and there is reason to
believe that a safe passage exists between Legendre and Dolphin Islands,
leading into Mermaid Straits, where there appears to be an excellent
harbour at all seasons of the year.

The soundings towards the eastern and western shores of Nickol Bay, taken
at low water, show sufficient depth for vessels of considerable tonnage
to lie within a cable's length of the shore, the bottom being fine sand
and soft mud. Towards the head of the bay the water is much shallower,
not carrying more than two fathoms two miles from the shore. No reefs are
known to exist in this bay, except quite close into land.

In making the running survey of the western promontory I found that all
to the north of Sloping Head was an island, having a boat channel between
from half a mile to a mile wide. To the outer portion I therefore gave
the name of Dolphin Island.

The tides are tolerably regular, and average sixteen feet, but at the
spring they rise twenty-one feet, on which occasions the whole of the
western promontory, including the high lands for several miles to the
westward, are entirely cut off by the sea, the other opening being under
Enderby Island--a circumstance that greatly detracts from the value of
these