The South-West side of the peak rises perpendicularly from a grassy flat, which stretches across that part of the island, separating two bays, the beaches of which with the rest on the island are composed of granulated quartz, and coarse shingle. A stream of water, rising in the peak, runs through the green, while a few low gumtrees grow in small detached clumps; a ship may therefore procure both water and fuel; finding this to be the case, and as it was a convenient stopping place, we made a plan of the island, connecting it with those in the immediate neighbourhood. It is the more advantageous as an anchorage, in that it can be reached during the night, whereas this could not be done in the inner channel near Turtle Islands, it lying so much to the westward, and being more intricate. Indeed it is not prudent to approach these isles even in the afternoon, from the number of reefs, and the difficulty in seeing them with the sun ahead. Mr. Bynoe was not fortunate enough to add to his collection of birds; those he observed being only doves and parrots, besides a flycatcher common to parts of the coast, and often before met with by us. A couple of vampires of the larger and darker species were also seen, and numerous land shells (Helix) similar to those on Cape Upstart; found near the roots of trees, buried in the decayed vegetation. Two old coconuts and large quantities of pumicestone were picked up on the south-east side of the island. The prevailing character of the rocks was granitic, out of which some beautiful specimens of hornblende were procured. The entire island was fringed with a narrow strip of coral, but I noticed none of it above high-water mark. HOWICK GROUP. July 4. We took our departure at an early hour, and after running round to sketch the north-east side of the island, stood to the westward for Howick Group. The weather being thick we did not discover the somewhat remarkable peak on Number 1, until we were close to it. Our progress was accelerated by a current running half a knot an hour, and finding the passage between Number 1 and 2 of Howick Group, much impeded by rocks, we hauled up between 2 and 3 isles, and on keeping away again West-North-West for Point Barrow, found ourselves close to a reef, almost dry, and extending nearly a mile further off the North-East side of Coles Island, than is laid down in the chart; thus contracting the channel between it and Number 4 island, to a space of not more than two miles. When the course was shaped for Point Barrow, Noble Island, a very remarkable pyramidal-shaped rocky height, was a point on the port bow. Its singular appearance makes it conspicuous amid the recollections of this part of the coast. We now once more approached to within a distance of seven miles of the mainland, which presented to our view a low sandy shore, with a few remarkable hummocks rising over it, and somewhat high, broken, rocky land immediately behind. CAPE MELVILLE.