(Footnote.  See Admiralty Chart Number 1914.)

In company with the Bramble we sailed from Moreton Bay for the Louisiade on May 26th.  Next day it began to blow fresh, commencing at south-east and coming up to east, and on the 28th the wind had increased to a heavy gale from East-South-East to East.  On the following morning the gale broke, the wind having suddenly fallen and shifted round from East to North-East and North-West by West until it became variable, and at night died away altogether.  On June 3rd we picked up the south-east trade-wind in latitude 20 degrees 8 minutes South; and next day and those following until we made the land, having left the beaten track from Sydney to the outer passages leading to Torres Strait,* we hauled on a wind at night so as to avoid going over unexplored ground.  No reefs, however, were seen between Moreton Bay and the Louisiade.

(Footnote.  See a very useful chart of the Coral Sea, constructed by Mr. J.O.  Evans, formerly master of H.M.S.  Fly.)

ARRIVE AT THE LOUISIADE ARCHIPELAGO.

On June 10th (our noon position of that day being latitude 11 degrees 38 minutes South and longitude 154 degrees 17 minutes East) at daylight, high land was seen extending from North to North-west, distant about twenty-five miles.  It proved to be the largest Ile du Sud-Est of D’Urville’s chart, and Rossel Island, the latter forming the eastern termination of the Louisiade Archipelago.  Next day we fell in with the Bramble in the neighbourhood of Cape Deliverance of the English chart (by Laurie) her rendezvous in case of separation; we had parted company during the late gale, in which she lost her jib-boom and stern-boat.

FIND ACCESS PREVENTED BY A REEF.

The whole of June 12th was spent in working to windward to weather the eastern end of Rossel Island—­Cape Deliverance of Bougainville—­the barrier reef to the southward of the two large islands in sight preventing us from closely approaching the land from that quarter.

ROSSEL ISLAND.

June 13th.

Having gained a good offing, we bore up at daylight, and stood in for Rossel Island with the Bramble ahead.  We passed at a distance Adele Island (so named after Coutance’s ship) low and woody, situated at the eastern extreme of the barrier reef surrounding Rossel Island, at a variable distance from the land.  The southern portion of this great coral reef here makes a sharp turn round the islet, and runs back ten miles to connect it with Rossel Island, where it loses the character of a barrier, becomes narrow and fringing and almost disappears for a time.  Passing Cape Deliverance* and getting into smooth water on the northern side of Rossel Island, we ran along it at a distance from the shore of about two miles and a half.

(Footnote.  As the longitude of Cape Deliverance varies considerably in different charts, its determination by the three best authorities may here be given: