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The whole of the detachment did not reach our huts on the bank of the Nibong stream till evening, much time being consumed in bringing on the mortar and magazine. Picked up pouches, musket stocks, etc., and saw new huts, near one of which was a quantity of clotted blood and a fresh grave. 18th. Proceeded east-north-east and passed several rivulets.

The Colour of the water appears to be paler than common, and hath been so for some days past; this makes us sound frequently, but can find no ground with 180 fathoms of Line. Wind East-North-East; course South-West; distance 62 miles; latitude 39 degrees 11 minutes South, longitude 177 degrees 2 minutes West. Saturday, 7th. Gentle breezes and settled weather.

If after a stay there of ten days, they were not joined by the Commodore, they were then to proceed through Straits le Maire round Cape Horn into the South Seas, where the next place of rendezvous was to be the island of Nuestra Senora del Socoro.* They were to bring this island to bear east-north-east, and to cruise from five to twelve leagues' distance from it, as long as their store of wood and water would permit, both which they were to expend with the utmost frugality.

We started from the end of Short Reach, trending East-North-East, and about four miles within the range of hills, on the South-East side of the Plains. The first reach led us a mile and a half in a South-East direction, and at the end of it a flat of large boulders extended; across this we dragged the boats easily.

We travelled generally East-North-East for twenty miles over spinifex and undulating sand-hills, without seeing any water. We turned east for ten miles to a range, which we found to be covered with spinifex. Everywhere nothing else was to be seen; no feed, destitute of water; while a few small gullies ran out of the low range, but all were dry.

Wind East by North, East-North-East; course South 41 degrees West; distance 126 miles; latitude 25 degrees 36 minutes North; at noon Peak of Teneriff North 33 degrees 15 minutes East, 61 leagues. Monday, 26th. Fresh breezes and somewhat Hazey. Variation by this Evening Amplitude 15 degrees 1 minute West.

As the ebb goes very strong nine hours to the eastward, the most convenient place for anchoring off Sydney Bay, on account of the boats, is, with the body of Nepean's Isle east-north-east half east, or east by north; the flag-staff north-north-east half east, Point Ross north-west by west, and the west end of Phillip Isle south-south-east nineteen fathoms; but here the ground is rocky: the best anchoring is with the middle of Nepean Isle east-north-east half east, the west end of Phillip Isle south by east, the outermost breaker off Point Ross north-west by west half west, the flag-staff north by east half east, and Collins's Head north-east by east half east, seventeen fathoms clear ground.

The greatest length of this group, which I named, after our second lieutenant, Rimski-Korsakoff, is from east-north-east to west-south-west, in which direction it is, fifty-four miles long. Its greatest breadth is ten miles. As we were sailing along the islands to windward of us, we could plainly distinguish from the mast-head those which lay at the other side of the basin.

During the morning of December 9 an easterly breeze brought hazy weather with snow, and at 4.30 p.m. we encountered the edge of pack-ice in lat. 58° 27´ S., long. 22° 08´ W. It was one-year-old ice interspersed with older pack, all heavily snow-covered and lying west- south-west to east-north-east. We entered the pack at 5 p.m., but could not make progress, and cleared it again at 7.40 p.m.

The view is obstructed to the east-north-east to north by it; but to the north-west and west there is an appearance of rising ground, thickly wooded, about twenty miles off. Wind, west. Latitude, 17 degrees 30 minutes 30 seconds. Sunday, 26th May, Newcastle Water, Sturt Plains. This morning we were visited by seven natives, tall, powerfully-made fellows.