PORT BOWEN.  Captain Flinders, in his account of this port, has merely confined himself to the anchorage under Entrance Island (latitude 22 degrees 29 minutes, longitude 150 degrees 45 minutes 30 seconds) which is, at best, but an exposed roadstead.  The channel in, on the north side of the island, is free from danger, but, on the south side, between it and Cape Clinton, there is an extensive shoal on which the sea breaks heavily:  it was not ascertained whether it is connected with the bank off the south end of the island, but there is every probability of it.  The inlet round Cape Clinton affords good anchorage:  but in the mid-channel the depth is as much as eighteen fathoms; the sands on the western side of the inlet are steep to, and should be avoided, for the tide sweeps upon them.  The best anchorage is in the sandy bay round the inner trend of the cape (latitude 22 degrees 31 minutes 40 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 44 minutes) where both wood and water are convenient.  In steering in from sea, haul round the cape, and pass about half to three-quarters of a mile to the north of the high round island, in seven fathoms, avoiding the sandbanks on either side.  In passing the inner trend of the cape, the water will shoal to three and three-quarter fathoms, but do not approach too near the point.  When you have opened the inlet, steer in, and, having passed the inner cape, haul in to a sandy bay on the eastern side, where you may anchor in eight or nine fathoms at pleasure.

The centre of the shoal in the middle of the port bears North 1/4 East by compass, from the high round island, and North by West 1/4 West when in a line with Entrance Island.

High water appears to take place half an hour later than at Entrance Island, or about 10 hours 40 minutes after the moon’s southing (the moon’s age being thirteen days).  The tide did not rise more than six feet, but it wanted three days to the springs.  Captain Flinders supposes the spring tides to rise not less than fifteen feet.  The variation of the compass was 9 degrees 5 minutes East, off Cape Clinton, but at Entrance Island, according to Captain Flinders, it was 7 degrees 40 minutes East.

NORTHUMBERLAND ISLANDS.  In the direction of North 8 degrees East (magnetic) and five miles and a half from the 3rd Island, is a low rock which, at high water, is very little above the surface of the sea; it is very dangerous because it is in the direct track of vessels steering towards the Percy Isles.  It escaped the observation of Captain Flinders.

In the direction of South 42 degrees West (magnetic) and ten miles from the west end of Percy Island Number 1, are some rocks, but I am not aware whether they are covered:  they were seen by Lieutenant Jefferies in 1815.

Another patch of dry rocks was seen by me from the summit of a hill at the west end of Percy Island Number 1, whence they bore South 60 degrees West (magnetic) and were supposed to be distant about eight or nine miles.  The variation of the compass here is between 7 and 8 degrees East.