rees 12 minutes West.

In latitude 16 degrees 46 minutes, and longitude 121 degrees 50 minutes
30 seconds, the French have placed a reef, BANC DES BALEINES; which we
did not approach near enough to see.

Between Capes Baskerville and Berthollet, is CARNOT BAY; it is six miles
deep, and backed by low land. The bottom of the bay was not distinctly
seen, but from the appearance of the land behind the beach, it is not
improbable that there may be a rivulet falling into it.

At POINT COULOMB, in latitude 17 degrees 21 minutes, where there is a
range of dark red cliffs, the coast commences to present a more verdant
and pleasing appearance than to the north: the interior rises to an
unusual height, and forms a round-backed hill, covered with trees: it
reminded us of the appearance of the country of the north coast, and is
so different from the rugged and barren character of the Islands of
Buccaneer's Archipelago as to afford an additional ground for our
conjecture of the insularity of this land. The red cliffs extend for four
miles to the southward of Point Coulomb, and are then superseded by a low
coast, composed alternately of rocky shores and sandy beaches.

CAPE BOILEAU is seventeen miles to the south of Point Coulomb; here the
shore trends in and forms a bay fifteen miles wide and six deep: the
south head is the land of Point Gantheaume, which is composed of
sandhills very bare of vegetation, as was also the character of the
interior. From Point Gantheaume, in latitude 17 degrees 53 minutes, the
coast trends to the South-East for about fifteen miles, where it was lost
to view in distance: the extreme was a low sandy point, and appeared to
be the south extremity of the land. The space to the south of this, which
appeared to be a strait, insulating the land to the north as far as Cape
Leveque, is nine miles wide. The south shore trends to the westward to
Cape Villaret, on which there is a remarkable hillock, in latitude 18
degrees 19 minutes 5 seconds, and longitude 122 degrees 3 minutes 45
seconds.

The space between the Cape and Point Gantheaume was called ROEBUCK BAY.
It is here that Captain Dampier landed, in the year 1688.

Three miles to the south of the hillock on Cape Villaret, are two lumps,
which at a distance appeared like rocks. Cape Latouche-Treville has a
small hummock near its extremity, in latitude 18 degrees 29 minutes, and
longitude 121 degrees 50 minutes 50 seconds; to the eastward of it, there
is a