islands that have been just mentioned, came to an anchor under the lee of them, in fifteen fathom water; and the weather being dark, hazy, and rainy, we remained there till seven o'clock in the morning. At this time we got again under sail, and stood to the N.W. with a fresh breeze at S.S.E.; having the main land in sight, and a number of islands all round us, some of which lay out at sea as far as the eye could reach. The western inlet, which in the chart is distinguished by the name of Broad Sound, we had now all open; at the entrance, it is at least nine or ten leagues wide: In it, and before it, lie several islands, and probably shoals also; for our soundings were very irregular, varying suddenly from ten to four fathom. At noon, our latitude by observation was 21° 29' S., a point of land which forms the north-west entrance into Broad Sound, and which I named _Cape Palmerston_, lying in latitude 21° 30', longitude 210° 54' W. bore W. by N. distant three leagues. Our latitude was 21° 27', our longitude 210° 57'. Between this Cape and Cape Townshend lies the bay which I called the _Bay of Inlets_. We continued to stand to the N.W. and N.W. by N. as the land lay, under an easy sail, having a boat a-head to sound: At first the soundings were very irregular, from nine to four fathom; but afterwards they were regular, from nine to eleven. At eight in the evening, being about two leagues from the main land, we anchored in eleven fathom, with a sandy bottom, and soon after we found the tide setting with a slow motion to the westward. At one o'clock it was slack, or low water; and at half an hour after two the ship tended to the eastward, and rode so till six in the morning, when the tide had risen eleven feet. We now got under sail, and stood away in the direction of the coast, N.N.W. From what we had observed of the tide during the night, it is plain that the flood came from the N.W., whereas the preceding day, and several days before, it came from the S.E.; nor was this the first or even second time that we had remarked the same thing. At sun-rise this morning, we found the variation to be 6° 45' E.; and in steering along the shore, between the island and the main, at the distance of about two leagues from the main, and three or four from the island, our soundings were regular from twelve to nine fathom; but about eleven o'clock in the forenoon we were again embarrassed with shoal water, having at one time not more than three fathom, yet we got clear without casting anchor. At noon we were about two leagues from the main, and four from the islands without us. Our latitude by observation was 20° 56', and a high promontory, which I named _Cape Hillsborough_, bore W. 1/2 N., distant seven miles. The land here is diversified by mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, and seems to be well clothed with herbage and wood: The islands which lie parallel to the coast, and from five to eight or ten miles distant, are of