rehend it was very rocky; and consequently great fears were
entertained for the safety of our anchor.

Our situation was in the outer part of a bay, the southern head of which
bore South 22 degrees East, and which, from the loss and perplexity we
met with in it, was afterwards called Disaster Bay, and its south
extreme, off which is a small rocky island, was named Repulse Point.

During the afternoon we had another instance of mirage which proved
useful so far that it indicated to us the trend of the land to the
south-eastward, in which direction nothing had previously been seen; it
appeared to be very low and level, and similar to the character of the
coast on the southward of Cape Leveque. At sunset when the haze cleared
off and the appearance of the land gradually sank below the horizon we
were instantly relieved from the oppressive heat we had experienced
during the day, for the thermometer had indicated a temperature of 91
degrees and, when exposed to the influence of the sun, rose to 120
degrees.

Three natives were noticed as we passed along the shore; they were
walking upon a sandy beach abreast of us but very soon disappeared among
the trees and bushes which here grow close down to the waterside; they
were armed with spears and appeared to be watching our movements; for
they moved along in the direction of our course and did not afterwards
make their appearance during the evening.

February 14.

The next morning whilst the ebb-tide lasted we had a light breeze but, at
noon, as the weather was calm and the brig could not be got underweigh,
either with safety or utility, the boats were despatched in different
directions to improve our knowledge of the place.

At low water a considerable sandbank was exposed to our view, that had
not previously been seen; it fronts the bay and is dry at low tide for
some extent, it is also shoal some distance to the northward, as our boat
had only four feet in passing over it. In the afternoon, as there was
every appearance of fine weather and no likelihood of a breeze, Mr.
Baskerville and Mr. Cunningham set off in a boat to visit Repulse Point,
in order to make what observations they could upon the further trend of
the land; but no sooner had they left the vessel than a breeze sprung up
and freshened to a gale in which our cable parted; and as there was no
chance of dropping another anchor with a prospect of recovering it, we
were obliged to return to our former anchorage i