1/2 less than is
given in Captain King's chart, the North-West extreme of the Peninsula
being there placed too far from Port Essington, and the North-East point,
Cape Croker, too near, it would appear that the discrepancy was chiefly
in the position of Port Essington, with respect to the northern extremes
of the Peninsula, as Captain King and ourselves only now differ two miles
in the distance between Cape Croker and Popham Bay, ours being the
greater. The evening was calm as usual, while midnight brought with it a
fresh South-East wind. During the night the temperature was as low as 73
degrees.

July 25.

On leaving at daylight we crossed over to examine the western shores of
Dundas Strait, formed by the eastern side of Melville Island; Captain
King having passed it in the night. As we stood close along it into the
gulf, we found the soundings very irregular. Six miles North 40 degrees
East from Cape Keith, we passed over two patches of only three or four
fathoms; these we could not see from the general disturbed and
discoloured state of the water, it blowing fresh from South-East. We
found the nature of this part of Melville Island to be low rocky points,
separating sandy bays. One of the few remarkable features on it, is a
round hill 320 feet high, five miles North-West from Cape Keith.

CLARENCE STRAIT.

Passing the latter, we crossed over to the opposite eastern entrance
point of Clarence Strait, Cape Hotham, discovering on our way thither a
reef nearly awash, about two miles in extent, bearing South 25 degrees
West fifteen miles from Cape Keith, and North 10 degrees East fourteen
miles from Cape Hotham. The deepest water we found while crossing was 22
fathoms, five miles north of the latter, the general depth being 13 and
15 fathoms. The wind failing in the afternoon, it was evening when we
reached our anchorage in nine fathoms, Cape Hotham bearing South 43 West,
two miles and a half, and close to the edge of a large shoal which we
subsequently found to extend a mile and a half north, and six miles east
from the Cape. Here we found the tides set West by South and
East-North-East from half a knot to two knots, the westerly stream
beginning nearly three hours after high-water, a peculiarity generally
occurring in straits.

July 26.

After one of those soft and lovely evenings so common to this part of
Australia, with a gentle breeze and cloudless sky, we were surprised to
find that the morning opened dreary