Our party put ashore at the only accessible landing place they found and walked a mile inland.  The country was extremely low and sterile, and the soil composed of a tenacious clay in which small iron-stone gravel is thickly mixed; it appeared to be of the same nature as the bottom on which we were anchored; and to have been lately covered with grass, recently burnt; and here and there, among other plants, Mr. Cunningham found a stunted eucalyptus (eudesmia?) about six feet high.

The usual traces of natives were noticed; especially in one part where the mark of a foot had been impressed since the last high water.  Large fires were burning three or four miles off but no human beings were seen.  As our gentlemen proceeded up the river a large flight of bats flew over the boat.  Very few birds were observed but a cry like that of the Ardea antigone was heard; Mr. Roe killed a small snake about two feet long.

Upon this excursion no fresh water was found except a few small drainings; but in this we were not disappointed for the character of the country did not favour the idea or inspire us with any hopes of finding a stream of sufficient consequence to be rendered useful for our purpose.  During the absence of the boat several necessary things were done on board the ship which it was not possible to effect under weigh.  On opening some of the dry casks their contents were found to have suffered much from weevil and rats:  the latter had also made great havoc on our spare sails; and, what was of greater importance and made me very anxious for the consequences, they had gnawed holes in almost every water-cask that remained full; so that we were not certain for a moment of our stock of that article, of which we had no chance of procuring a supply on this dreary coast.

September 8.

The following morning we weighed and stood out of Port Keats.  On attempting to steer close round Cape Hay we were obliged to desist and to pass round a reef that extended from it in a North 1/2 West direction to the distance of four leagues.

At sunset no land was in sight.

September 9.

But at eight o’clock the next morning (9th) the north end of the above reef bore East-South-East and the land about Cape Hay South-South-East.  The Barthelemy Hills were also seen from the masthead, and reported as islands; this mistake of ours therefore tends still more to excuse the error of the French charts.

During the day we had light winds and the coast was but indistinctly seen.  The sea was covered with a brown scum which Captain Cook’s sailors called sea saw-dust, from its resemblance to that substance.* Very few fish were noticed, but they were generally more numerous nearer to the shore.

(Footnote.  Hawkesworth volume 3 page 248.  Peron Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terres Australes volume 2 chapter 31.)

September 10.