more than eight miles wide, and in mid-channel about twenty-three
fathoms deep.

Between Cape Bougainville and Cape Voltaire is the ADMIRALTY GULF. It is
twenty-nine miles wide and twenty-two deep, independent of Port
Warrender. This gulf is thickly strewed with islands and reefs: a group
off Cape Voltaire was seen by the French and named by them the INSTITUTE
ISLANDS, the three principal of which, of flat-topped shape, are called
Descartes, Fenelon, and Corneille; besides these the Montesquieu Group,
and Pascal and Condillac Islands, were distinguished. On the eastern side
of the gulf, near the shore, are OSBORN'S ISLANDS, which are high and
rocky: the southernmost is remarkable for its steep, precipitous form,
and for its resemblance to Mount Cockburn in Cambridge Gulf. There is
also a conspicuous high bluff on the principal island, which appears to
have been seen by the French.

In the offing is CASSINI ISLAND; it is rather low and level, and
surrounded by cliffs and rocky shores: on the eastern side are four sandy
beaches, which are very much frequented by turtle: a reef projects off
its north end for a mile and a half. The anchorage is good near the
island, but the water is very deep. The situation of its centre is in
latitude 13 degrees 55 minutes 5 seconds, and longitude 125 degrees 42
minutes.

PORT WARRENDER is an excellent port, and affords good anchorage in the
bay round Crystal Head, in which a vessel is quite land-locked; but
equally secure anchorage may be had for five miles higher up the port, in
from four to seven fathoms, mud. It extends for six miles farther, but
the depth in some parts is not more than two fathoms.

At eleven miles from the entrance, the port is separated into two inlets,
which wind under the base of a dividing range of high, steep, and wooded
hills; these run up for five miles higher, when they become mere mangrove
creeks. There is probably another inlet on the east side of Port
Warrender which we did not examine, since it appeared to be less
considerable in size, and important in appearance, than the arm which we
had examined. CRYSTAL HEAD is in latitude 14 degrees 28 minutes, and
longitude 125 degrees 55 minutes 30 seconds.

WALMESLY BAY appeared to be a good port also, but it is open to the
eastward. We did not enter it.

CAPE VOLTAIRE is the extremity of a promontory, extending for more than
twenty miles into the sea, and separating the Admiralty Gulf from Montagu
Sound. T