Our course was then directed round Cape Bedford towards Lizard Island.  On our way we noticed several shoals.  Off the south-west end of the island we saw a great many whales:  soon after three o’clock we anchored in a sandy bay on its south-west side.

August 6.

The wind during the night and the following day blew so fresh as to prevent our proceeding; the delay was therefore taken advantage of by our gentlemen to land and examine the island.  It may be recollected that it was from the summit of Lizard Island that Captain Cook discovered the openings in the reefs through which he passed and got to sea; little thinking that, by so doing, he was incurring a greater risk than by remaining within the reefs and steering along the coast.  Some of our people walked round the island where they found a whaler’s ton butt cast upon the beach:  it had probably belonged to the Echo.  Near the cask were lying several coconuts, one of which was quite sound and perfect.  The beach was strewed with pumice-stone heaped up above the high-water mark.

The basis of the island is a coarse-grained granite.  A shallow soil on the sides of the hills, the surface of which was thickly strewed with stones and large masses of rock, nourished a slight clothing of grass and other herbage.  The summit of the island forms a peak, and is perhaps about a thousand feet high; the island is thinly wooded with small trees which scarcely deserve the appellation of timber.

No natives were seen but it was evident they had lately been upon the island from the recent appearances of their fireplaces and the perfect state of a hut, which was a more comfortable habitation than we have usually found:  it was arched over in the usual way, by twigs bent in the form of a dome; and was neatly thatched with dry grass.  No turtle marks were noticed on the beach so that I should think this was not the season for laying their eggs.

August 8.

We were detained at this anchorage from the unfavourable state of the weather until the 8th, on which day we sailed and steered for Howick Group on a direct and unimpeded course.  The channel appeared equally free on either side of the group; but as it was a material object, on account of the unfavourable state of the weather, to make sure of reaching the anchorage under Cape Flinders, we did not attempt to pass round the northern side but steered through the strait between 2 and 3, and then over our former track round Cape Melville.  At six o’clock we anchored under Cape Flinders.  Between Point Barrow and Cape Melville I had an opportunity of improving my chart with respect to the reefs in the offing, and of observing the outer limit of the barrier reefs which were distinguished by the heavy breakers that lined the horizon.  On rounding Cape Melville, the remarkable feature of which has been previously described above, a pine-like tree was noticed growing on the summit of the ridge:  Mr. Cunningham thought it was the Araucaria excelsa; if his conjecture was right this tree occupies a space of 900 miles of coast, between 14 degrees 10 minutes and 29 degrees 30 minutes.  It might however have been a callitris.