I now gave up all idea of examining the opening round Point Pearce which appeared of so interesting a character.  The danger of remaining under weigh (for our only anchor could not be trusted with safety on so bad a bottom) was too great to run any longer risk, and we left the place with a much stronger impression of its value and importance than we entertained after the examination of an opening that was discovered by us a few days afterwards.

September 13.

At daylight the land about Point Pearce (a sugarloaf hill on the Goodwin Range) bore nearly due east.  At eight a.m., having stood to the South-South-West for thirteen miles, the water changed colour; the depth however still continued to be regular in twelve fathoms and we steered on; soon afterwards it shoaled to seven and five fathoms, upon which the helm was put up; but before the vessel’s head was got round we were in three fathoms with the swell of the sea breaking so heavily around us that our escape for the fourth time on this shoal was quite providential.  After getting into clear water we ran along the edge of the coloured water, sounding in fourteen fathoms hard sand, mixed with shells and stones; at noon we hauled round its north-west extremity and steered for the land, which was soon afterwards visible from south to south-west, the latter bearing being that of a remarkable hill, of quadrilateral shape, answering in position to Captain Baudin’s Lacrosse Island.  At two o’clock our soundings, for the first time since leaving Port Keats, were on a muddy bottom; at sunset we were within six miles of a small rocky island of half a mile in extent, surrounded by an extensive reef, which was partially dry; the land between South-East and West by South appeared to be a very low sandy coast, and the back lands to the south-east are wooded and level.  Nearer to Lacrosse Island the coast is not only more irregular in its outline but of a more mountainous character:  on each side of the nearest part of the coast, which was eight miles off and bore South, the shores fall back and form two bays; the land was however so enveloped by the smoke of the natives’ fires that the greater part was very indistinctly seen and therefore very imperfectly described.  After dark a light breeze sprang up from the South-West, and we stood off shore; but not being able to find an anchorage we continued under weigh during the night.

September 14.

The next morning the land was not in sight:  as we stood towards the shore it was soon afterwards discerned, and at noon we were very near to our last night’s position but were prevented from steering towards Lacrosse Island by a considerable shoal which extended to the North-West and crossed our course:  we anchored near it at sunset in ten fathoms.

The land this day was more visible towards the South-East and observed to join the low land at the back of the reefs that we passed on the 12th.