took to the water before we came near it and did not
afterwards reappear. Many kangaroo-rats and small kangaroos were seen
skipping about the rocks, but they were very shy, and fled the moment
they saw us.

Hanover Bay thus proving to afford good anchorage and an opportunity of
increasing our stock of water, as well as presenting a sandy beach on
which we could haul the seine, it was determined that we should visit it
as soon as the brig could be moved out of Prince Regent's River.

On our return, which was over the same ground as we had passed in the
morning, we landed near two or three gullies on the inner side of the
island, which forms the eastern boundary of Munster Water, but were
unsuccessful in all our searches after fresh water.

August 6.

At daylight on the 6th we got underweigh to a light air of wind from the
southward, to leave Prince Regent's River; but notwithstanding the vessel
was under all sail she was very nearly thrown upon Lammas Island by the
tide, which was setting with great strength through the shoal passage
between it and Sight Point: as we passed without it we were not more than
five yards from the rocks. The wind then fell to a dead calm and the brig
was perfectly immovable in the water; but, drifted by the tide and
whirled round by the eddies, we were fast approaching the body of the
largest Midway Island, with a very great uncertainty on which side of it
the tide would drift us: when we were about three hundred yards from the
island the direction of the stream changed and carried us round its
south-east side, at about two hundred yards from the shore, but close to
the low rocks off its east end, on which we landed two days since. We
were under great anxiety for fear of being driven over the reef, on which
there could not have been sufficient water to have floated us; but our
fears of that danger were soon over for the tide swept us rapidly round
it. At this moment a light air sprang up which lasted only five minutes,
but it was sufficient to carry us past the junction of the Rothsay and
Munster Waters with the main stream. The vessel was at times unmanageable
from the violent whirlpools through which we passed, and was more than
once whirled completely round upon her keel; but our former experience of
a similar event prepared us to expect it, and the yards were as quickly
braced round.

Having passed all the dangers, the ebb-tide very soon carried us out of
the river into Hanover Bay.