Mount Inspection being the highest land in the neighbourhood, became the principal station of the survey. From it a glimpse was got of the mainland, bearing South 17 degrees West about eighteen miles. The north-eastern end of the island, also, could be seen, fronted with rocky ledges extending three quarters of a mile off. This hill is a mass of calcareous rock, similar to the high parts of Bountiful Island, with the same honeycombed surface, as if it had been exposed to the action of the sea. In other parts of the island there is a great quantity of ironstone; and the cliffs on the eastern side are mixed with this and pipe-clay; on the northern extreme are some lakes or swamps.
SOIL, ETC. OF BENTINCK ISLAND.
The soil is chiefly a mixture of sand and decomposed vegetable matter; but it cannot boast of fertility. The wood on the island, which consisted for the most part of gums, wattles, a few acacias, palms, and, near the beach, a straggling casuarina or two, bespoke this by its stunted appearance; but as cotton grows well at Port Essington, there can be little doubt that it will thrive here. Several of the bustards spoken of by Flinders, were noticed; but too wary to be killed. They were as large as those seen in the neighbourhood of Port Phillip, but much browner. The other birds, most common, will be found in an extract from the game book, given in a future page. We saw no animals, except some large iguanas.
Investigator Road is sheltered to the northward by shoal water stretching across between Sweers and Bentinck islands. The latter is slightly elevated, and thickly wooded; it is large in comparison with its neighbours, being about ten miles in extent either way. Its south side is much indented, and the projections as well as the extreme of Fowler Island, are lined with mangroves; they are fronted with coral ledges. Near the south-east point, I noticed large patches of the ferruginous sort of gravel, before alluded to in King's Sound.
On one occasion a party thought they heard a cooey--or cry peculiar to the natives of Port Jackson--uttered by some of the aborigines in the distance. It would have been exceedingly interesting to ascertain if this actually was the case; as the sound generally emitted by the natives of the northern coasts when they wish to communicate with each other afar off, is the monotonous "oh! oh!"
MR. FORSYTH'S REPORT.
On the 13th the boats returned, having completed the work that had been allotted them. Mr. Forsyth reported their proceedings as follows: Leaving the north point of Bentinck Island, off which a reef extends nearly three miles, they crossed over to the south end of Mornington Island, bearing North 60 degrees West twenty-three miles, the depth, midway between being 7 and 8 fathoms. The south shore of this island was found to be low and sandy, much indented, and fronted with reefs. From the south extreme, the nearest part of the main, called Point Bayley, bore South 32 degrees West eleven miles, the intervening space being occupied by four low isles, which I named after Mr. Forsyth. With the exception of 5 fathoms two miles south-west from the end of Mornington Island, the space between it and the main is only navigable for boats; and westward of Forsyth Islands, shoals, partly dry, extend off four miles from the main.
POINT PARKER.
From Point Bayley,* where we found a native well, the coast trended on one hand North 73 degrees West, in which direction, at the distance of two and four miles, were small openings in the low mangrove shore; whilst, on the other, it trended South 53 degrees East with inlets two, three, and six miles distant, and a point ten miles and a half from Point Bayley, which was named after the officer in charge of one of the boats, Point Parker. A hillock elevated about thirty feet, which was great for this part of the continent, rendered it conspicuous. Like Point Bayley, it is fronted with a rocky ledge, and has a sandy beach on the south side. From Point Parker the coast trended south ten miles, which was the furthest the boats reached; beyond, it appeared to take a more easterly direction.
(*Footnote. In latitude 16 degrees 35 minutes 10 seconds South, and longitude 6 degrees 55 minutes 30 seconds East of Port Essington. )