us.

(*Footnote. Hawkesworth volume 3 page 136.)

At sunset we anchored about four miles to the eastward of the position
assigned to a reef, on which the ship Lady Elliot struck, in 1815; but
saw nothing of it.

June 19.

At daybreak we resumed our voyage and steered for Cape Sandwich after
passing inside the Palm Island Group. We were now approaching Point
Hillock, which is a point of land projecting for two miles into the sea,
with a small hillock at its extremity; from which Captain Cook named it;
the land rises precipitously behind it to the height of about two
thousand feet and forms a mass of bare rocky hills of a singularly grand
and imposing appearance. It rises nearly perpendicularly from the lower
wooded hills at its base and is as abrupt on its land side as on that
which faces the sea. The summit extends from north to south for seven
miles and forms a narrow craggy ridge on which are several remarkable
peaks. It was called Mount Hinchinbrook and is visible from the deck for
eighteen leagues.

An opening was observed to trend round the rear of the Mount, and
probably separates it from the mainland. We passed half a mile outside
the low rock off Cape Sandwich, within a group of low rocky isles
(Brooke's Islands) and then steered towards a peaked hill, which was soon
afterwards found to be on the island laid down by Captain Cook in
Rockingham Bay, it now received the name of Goold Island. We then entered
Rockingham Bay and anchored at two miles off Goold Island.

On passing Cape Sandwich in the afternoon we observed several natives
walking on the shore; and, upon our anchoring, a party was also seen
collected round their huts, on the sandy beach at the west end of Goold
Island; and near them were seven canoes hauled up above the tide mark;
they had kindled a fire to attract our attention, but the day was too far
advanced to allow communicating with them that evening.

June 20.

At daylight the following morning I was much surprised by being told that
five canoes were paddling off to the cutter, four of which only held each
one native, but the fifth being rather larger contained two.

On approaching the cutter they laid off until invited to come alongside;
when they approached without the least alarm or hesitation, and made
signs for something to eat; some biscuit was given to them which they ate
and, unlike all other Australian savages, appeared to relish its taste.
Some little persuasion was necessar