On reaching it, the water deepened, but we were obliged to anchor, and sound the channel, before we succeeded in entering the inner harbour, which we found to be a spacious sheet of water, divided into two bays by a projecting cliffy point, which from its situation was called Middle Head.

There we remained at anchor until the 23rd, during which time the shores of the inner harbour were examined, and visits made to various parts of it.
The shores of the inner harbour are thickly wooded to the beach, which is fronted by mudflats, that at low water are dry for a considerable distance.
On the western point of entrance, we found the remains of a wrecked canoe, and upon further search Mr.Bedwell discovered a spear which was altogether different from any that we had before seen; it was headed with a sharp pointed splinter of quartz, about four inches long, and an inch and a half broad; the shaft was of the mangrove-tree, seven feet eight inches long, and appeared, from a small hole at the end, to have been propelled by a throwing-stick; the stone head was fastened on by a ligature of plaited grass, covered by a mass of gum: it was the most formidable weapon of the sort we had ever yet seen.
April 22.
At the bottom of the western basin one of our people found the skeleton of a human body; and the skull and some of the bones were brought on board, but they were too imperfect to be worth preserving.

The traces of natives were found every where, but they did not show themselves.

In one of our excursions a tree was observed that had been cut down by some sharp instrument, and we had afterwards reason to believe that the natives were possessed of iron tools, which they might have obtained from the Malays.

A curious mound, constructed entirely of shells, rudely heaped together, measuring thirty feet in diameter, and fourteen feet in height, was also noticed near the beach, and was supposed to be a burying-place of the Indians.
April 23.
Upon leaving the inner harbour we anchored in Knocker's Bay, on the west side of the port, which received the name of Essington, a tribute of my respect for the memory of my lamented friend, the late Vice-Admiral Sir William Essington, K.C.B.: and in the afternoon we set off to examine an opening in the mangroves at the bottom of the bay.