ce. At midnight the
cutter, drifted by the tide, passed close to the easternmost point of
Melville Island near to which two bright fires were burning.

May 13.

The next morning at eight o'clock we were within two miles of Cape
Fleeming, the north-easternmost extremity of the island; and, bearing up
along the north coast of Melville Island, passed close to Point Jahleel.
On a sandy beach to the westward of the last point two natives were
walking, but they passed on without noticing our presence. Eight miles to
the South-West of Point Jahleel is Brenton Bay, which we had nearly
passed before it was observed: the vessel was brought to the wind.

May 14.

But it was the next morning before we succeeded in fetching into the
opening. It terminates in an inlet which probably runs some little
distance into the interior of the island. It is about five miles deep,
but the depth is so trifling that we were prevented from running into it
far enough to obtain shelter from the wind. In the evening we anchored in
a picturesque bay which, although open to the north, offers a tolerable
shelter during the easterly monsoon: the beach is sandy, but is probably
shoal and of rocky approach. The country appeared verdant, and the hills
are thickly wooded; at the bottom of the bay a shoal opening trends in
between two hills, over which, in the evening, seven natives were
observed to cross in a canoe. This was called Lethbridge Bay. On the
western side of the bay is a range of cliff like the pipe-clay cliff of
Goulburn Island, the upper half being red, and the lower half white; and
four miles off the west point of the bay are two patches of rocks on
which the sea breaks; these were called the Madford Shoals.

May 15.

Twenty-five miles west from Lethbridge Bay is a projecting point from
which the coast takes a north-westerly direction. In passing a breaker
that lies off the point our cook fell overboard, but the boat was quickly
lowered and picked him up; for some time his life was despaired of, but a
little attention, and the warmth of the sun's heat, at last restored him.

On each side of the point which is formed behind Karslake Island is a
bay; and at the bottom of each there appeared to be a shoal opening. The
coast is here higher than usual, and is thickly wooded; but the coastline
to the northward is formed of high cliffs without much wood, and of a
remarkable white colour.

May 16.

The next morning we passed round Cape Van D