eastward of Malus Island, to take some stones on board as ballast, for
the brig was so very light and leewardly that it would have been running
a great risk to approach the land, as she then was. But in this we were
disappointed, for after an interval of close sultry weather, and a severe
thunderstorm, a gale of wind set in from the South-West, during which the
barometer fell as low as 29.36 inches. The gale then veered gradually
round to the North-West, and obliged us to make sail off the coast, and
by the time it moderated we were so far to leeward of Dampier's
Archipelago that I was constrained to alter my plan and give up the idea
of taking ballast on board. I therefore determined upon making Rowley's
Shoals, for the purpose of fixing their position with greater
correctness, and examining the extent of the bight round Cape Leveque,
which we were obliged to leave unexplored during the earlier part of this
voyage.

1822. February 4.

The first of these objects was effected on the 4th; on which day we
passed round the south end of the Imperieuse (the westernmost) Shoal;
which we now found to extend nearly four miles more to the southward than
had been suspected in 1818, at which period we steered round its north
end.

A large patch of dry rocks was also seen on the north-east end of the
reef about ten miles from the vessel's track, and Mr. Roe, from the
masthead, thought that the east side of the shoal did not appear to be so
steep as the western side.

From noon we steered east to make the shoal seen by the Good Hope, but
having sailed in that direction as far as latitude 17 degrees 42 minutes
51 seconds and longitude 119 degrees 32 minutes 4 seconds, without seeing
any signs of it for ten miles on either side of our course, we hauled to
the wind for the night and sounded in one hundred and forty-five fathoms
speckled sand and broken shells.

February 5.

At seven o'clock the following morning we were steering east when broken
water was reported bearing from East to East-South-East, but it turned
out to be a rippling which we passed through. These ripplings have been
frequently noticed in the vicinity of the reefs, but we have been very
little affected by the tides by which they must be occasioned. At noon we
were by observation in 17 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds and longitude 119
degrees 41 minutes 52 seconds, when we sounded in one hundred and twenty
fathoms, speckled sand mixed with broken shells and stones