Spit, the sloping hummock bearing S 9
degrees E at the time of altering the course.

The coast round Hervey's Bay was, in general, low near the shore, and on
the west side the low land extended to some distance inwards. On that
side the land wore a different appearance from that of Sandy Cape, there
being few marks of sand, and the shore was mostly rocky. Advancing toward
the head, the beaches presented themselves, and continued with little
interruption into the upper bay. A large island lying off the entrance to
the upper bay showed no marks of sand, but was well covered with wood and
verdure. In height, it was equal to the higher parts of the main, and
being four or five miles in length, seemed to be a fine island. On the
eastern shore the sand was more or less apparent every where increasing
in quantity toward the cape. The white cliffs that were noticed before
very probably contained chalk; the upper stratum, two or three feet in
thickness, being of a superior whiteness in those which were best seen.

With respect to fertility, the general aspect only can be spoken of.
About the head of the bay, the trees were of a fair growth; grass seemed
sufficiently abundant, and there were few appearances of sand. Some parts
of it Mr. Flinders thought were stony.

Of the inhabitants he could only observe, that their smokes were numerous
about the bay, and that they at times frequented Curlew islet.

Of the animal, vegetable, or fossil productions of the bay, he could not
speak, the shortness of his stay not permitting any examination.

From the appearance of the tide the day that he landed upon the islet, it
had been high water between twelve and one o'clock, which was between
three and four hours before the moon came upon the meridian.

The mean of nine amplitudes taken in this bay gave the variation 9
degrees 44 minutes east; and of two sets of azimuths 9 degrees 15 minutes
east; from both, the mean variation of the azimuth compass was 9 degrees
30 minutes east.

Having cleared the point of Break Sea Spit, on Thursday the 8th he
proceeded on his return to Port Jackson. Passing the land between Smoky
Cape and the Solitary Isles in the day which had been before passed in
the night, he observed that it seemed to be higher than most parts of its
coast in the neighbourhood, Mount Warning excepted; and even there it was
not so high near the shore. The view that he had of the land at sunset,
when Smoky Cape bore S 25 degrees