The wind blowing hard drifted them to the South-East for three days and three nights, when they came to a low island, with no traces of inhabitants, and abounding in coconut trees, upon the fruit of which they lived until the monsoon changed, when they sailed back to Timor Laut.  Flinders, when off Batavia River, on the North-East side of the Gulf, was led to suppose that an island existed to seaward of him, from seeing some flocks of geese coming from that direction one morning.  Wilson, also, in his Voyage round the World, speaks of the Macassar people reporting an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, with sandalwood growing on it.

EXAMINE ENDEAVOUR STRAIT.

Soon after daylight on the 13th, we anchored under Booby Island,* the flagstaff bearing East-South-East half a mile to the south.  The weather looked unusually threatening the previous night.  Between the observations for rating the chronometers I fulfilled my intention of making a cursory examination of the entrance of Endeavour Strait, and anchored a mile and three quarters off the North Wallis Island, bearing South 23 degrees East.  It is a conical rocky isle, upwards of 70 feet high, of a coarse sandstone formation; an extensive coral reef fronts it on all sides, except the north.  The result of a night’s observations on shore placed the summit in latitude 10 degrees 51 minutes 25 seconds South; the true bearing of Booby Island was North 22 degrees 13 minutes West.  The natives appear to make a cemetery of this island; for on a small sandy point on the north side we found a large grave, covered with turtle backs, and containing several skeletons.  This is a very different mode of burial from that noticed in Flinders River.

(Footnote.  The result of the whole of our observations at this island are as follows:  Latitude of the west point 10 degrees 36 minutes 42 seconds South, longitude, 141 degrees 57 minutes 45 seconds East; variation, 7 degrees 0 minutes East.  The tides are equally strange here and in Endeavour Strait; the stream setting to the westward (West-South-West to West-North-West) from nineteen to twenty hours, and to the northward and eastward (North to North-East) only from four to five hours.  The latter stream commences about an hour before high-water, which takes place at 4.30, on the full and change days, when the rise at springs is 12 feet, and at neaps 7; the length of flood and ebb is nearly six hours.)

Leaving our anchorage, we steered West 1/4 North, six miles, in soundings of 6 and 7 fathoms.  We then crossed in 4 1/2 and 5 fathoms, North Wallis Island bearing South 75 minutes East, a ridge which appeared to be an elbow of the spit extending off the latter, and forming the south side of the channel.  Continuing the same course, the depth soon increased to 6 and 7 fathoms.  This was highly satisfactory, as it proved there was water for the largest vessels.* In the afternoon we anchored again under Booby Island.**