ext day and night was spent in endeavouring to approach
the main, but we made very little progress. During the day natives' fires
were burning on many of the islands and the coast of the main was
enveloped in smoke.

June 7.

At daylight on the 7th the cutter was about eight miles East by South
from Point Slade, with a projecting bluff cape in sight, which proved to
be Captain Cook's Cape Hilsborough.

The country in the vicinity and particularly to the southward of the Cape
is rocky and mountainous; but the lower grounds are verdant and well
clothed with timber; and, judging from the numerous fires along the
coast, it must be very populous; the islands near it are rocky and very
barren, but many of them being wooded with pine-tree have a picturesque
appearance.

In the evening, having passed round the Cape, we anchored in Repulse Bay,
at about three miles from the shore, which is here low and fronted by a
chain of low islands, apparently connected by reefs. Water was seen over
the low land at the bottom of the bight in the South-West side of the
bay, and is probably a lagoon.

June 8.

The next morning we steered to the North-West to look at the head of
Repulse Bay; the bottom of which appears to be correctly described by
Captain Cook as being bounded by low land. I obtained a view of it from
the summit of one of the islands, named in my chart the Repulse Isles,
off which we anchored in the afternoon.

These islets are furnished with a very poor and shallow soil. On the
sides of the hills we noticed a species of xanthorrhoea, remarkable for
its stunted growth and for the curly habit of its leaves. Pumice-stone
was found at the foot of the hills, washed up, perhaps, by the tide; and
on the beach was a European ashen oar. Under the projecting rocks several
firing and sleeping places were observed which had been recently occupied
by the natives.

June 9.

The following morning we sailed and steered for Whitsunday Passage; a
little before noon, I landed with Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham in a small
bight round the north side of Cape Conway, for a meridional observation
and bearings.

This Cape is formed by steep rocky hills, rising to the height of nearly
800 feet above the sea; the sides of which were so steep and so
impenetrably covered by a thick underwood that we could not accomplish
its ascent; we were therefore obliged to confine our observations to the
beach. Tracks of natives were observed, and either a