The country in the vicinity and particularly to the southward of the Cape is rocky and mountainous; but the lower grounds are verdant and well clothed with timber; and, judging from the numerous fires along the coast, it must be very populous; the islands near it are rocky and very barren, but many of them being wooded with pine-tree have a picturesque appearance.

In the evening, having passed round the Cape, we anchored in Repulse Bay, at about three miles from the shore, which is here low and fronted by a chain of low islands, apparently connected by reefs.  Water was seen over the low land at the bottom of the bight in the South-West side of the bay, and is probably a lagoon.

June 8.

The next morning we steered to the North-West to look at the head of Repulse Bay; the bottom of which appears to be correctly described by Captain Cook as being bounded by low land.  I obtained a view of it from the summit of one of the islands, named in my chart the Repulse Isles, off which we anchored in the afternoon.

These islets are furnished with a very poor and shallow soil.  On the sides of the hills we noticed a species of xanthorrhoea, remarkable for its stunted growth and for the curly habit of its leaves.  Pumice-stone was found at the foot of the hills, washed up, perhaps, by the tide; and on the beach was a European ashen oar.  Under the projecting rocks several firing and sleeping places were observed which had been recently occupied by the natives.

June 9.

The following morning we sailed and steered for Whitsunday Passage; a little before noon, I landed with Mr. Roe and Mr. Cunningham in a small bight round the north side of Cape Conway, for a meridional observation and bearings.

This Cape is formed by steep rocky hills, rising to the height of nearly 800 feet above the sea; the sides of which were so steep and so impenetrably covered by a thick underwood that we could not accomplish its ascent; we were therefore obliged to confine our observations to the beach.  Tracks of natives were observed, and either a wrecked or a worn-out canoe, made of bark, was lying near the ruins of two or three bark huts.

Excellent water, supplied by a stream from the hills, was found just within the beach, which is very steep and affords easy landing.  In moderate weather a ship may water here with great facility.

When we returned on board, the cutter was becalmed nearly abreast of Pentecost Island, and was rapidly drifting in a direction towards the west shore, on which course we soon shoaled the water from twenty-eight to ten fathoms.  The vessel being quite ungovernable, the boat was sent ahead to tow her round, which we had scarcely time to do, before she was carried by the tide over a bank of hard sand on which the least water was three fathoms; fortunately for us it was nearly high water, or we should have been left dry:  its western edge was so steep that we were very quickly in deep water again.  We anchored at sunset in the centre of a tide eddy under Pine Head, in sixteen fathoms sand and shells:  the night was passed without accident.