entrance of the port, but a good bottom may be found as soon as Hunter's
River begins to open, and bears East 1/2 North, and when you are within a
small island that is in the centre of the port; but an anchorage may very
probably be obtained on the northern shore, or, indeed, any where out of
the strength of the tides.

HUNTER'S RIVER runs up for about fourteen miles. It is about one mile and
a half wide at the entrance, and preserves that width for more than four
miles, when it suddenly contracts and becomes shoal, and very tortuous in
its course, and winds through a narrow chasm in the rocks, which rise
precipitously in some parts for at least two or three hundred feet. A
vessel may anchor in seven fathoms near the end of the first reach; its
course is to the East-North-East. There is a remarkable rock at the
entrance, in latitude 15 degrees 1 minute 30 seconds, and longitude 125
degrees 24 minutes. ROE'S RIVER first trends for seventeen miles to the
East by South, and then, taking a sudden turn to the south, runs up for
thirteen miles more; after which it trends to the South-East, and was
supposed to run up for at least ten miles farther. Its entrance for seven
miles forms a very good harbour, being from two to six fathoms deep; but,
in anchoring here, it must be recollected that the tide falls twenty-nine
feet. This river, like Hunter's River, is bounded on either bank by
precipitous hills, which, in many parts, are inaccessible.

Five miles to the westward of Cape Torrens is Point Hardy: off the latter
is an islet; and three miles, North by East 1/2 East from it, is a reef,
on which the sea breaks. This point is the east head of PORT NELSON,
which extends to the southward from it for eight miles: its western side
is formed by the Coronation Islands: its width is three miles, with good
anchorage all over it. At the bottom is CAREENING BAY, where the Mermaid
was repaired. The latitude of the beach in 15 degrees 6 minutes 18
seconds, and longitude 125 degrees 0 minutes 46 seconds.* Port Nelson
communicates with the sea to the westward of the Coronation Islands,
which may be considered a strait. At the south-west end of the
southernmost island, where the strait is narrowest, and not more than one
mile and a quarter wide, there is a patch of rocks in the centre, which
always shows: the channel on the north side of these rocks is the best:
the water is very deep, and the tide sets right through.

(*Footnote. The latitud