We now began for the first time to feel the effects of our accident at Port Bowen, for the tide, setting against the wind, caused a short swell, in which the cutter strained so much that she made two inches and a half of water per hour.

August 15.

At noon the next day we rounded Cape York; and, as we had last year taken the route to the northward of Wednesday Island, we now steered round the south side of Prince of Wales Islands through Endeavour Strait.

August 16.

And passing the night under one of the Possession Islands, Number 2, the next day reached Booby Island off which we anchored.  On our course to the westward of Cape Cornwall and across the line of shoals that extend from it to Wallis Isles we had not less water than four fathoms.

In the afternoon we landed on Booby Island and at night procured turtles, and about a thousand eggs.

On the summit of the island, or rather the rock, several piles of stones were observed that had been heaped up by the crews of the various ships passing by, as relics of their visit:  among other notices of a similar nature we found a board indicating the safe passage through the strait of the ship Sea-Flower, which our logbook informed us left Port Jackson on the 21st of last May; and from the memorandum on the board we found that she took the outer passage, entered Torres Strait at Murray’s Island, and arrived off Booby Island, after a voyage of twenty-two days.

A good opportunity was here offered, by comparing our voyage with that of the Sea-Flower, of proving the superiority of the inshore route:  the Mermaid left Port Jackson on the 12th July, and passed Booby Island on the 16th August, which is an interval of thirty-five days; from this fifteen must be deducted for the delays occasioned by the survey; namely, at Port Bowen two days, at Endeavour River nine days, at Lizard Island, Cape Flinders, Haggerston’s Island, and the Possession Islands, one day each; this leaves twenty days for our passage, being two days shorter than the Sea-Flower’s.  This comparison therefore is in favour of the inshore route.  But it is not only superior to the passage without the reefs, from its being shorter, there are also other advantages:  the principal of which are that the weather is more generally fine; the sea is always perfectly smooth; and wood or water may be procured upon various parts of the coast:  with only common attention there is no risk; and however laboriously the day may be spent the night is passed without disturbing the crew; for safe and good anchorage may be taken up every night under the lee of an islet or a reef, which in the event of bad weather may be retained as long as is requisite or convenient.  No time is lost by the delay, for the anchor may be dropped in the ship’s immediate track; and if the cargo consists of live animals such as horses, cattle, or sheep, grass may be obtained for them from the islands near the anchorage.