In our walks over the hills we saw abundance of quails but no animals were observed; very few sea-birds frequented the beaches perhaps on account of the contiguity of the barrier reefs, upon which they can much more plentifully procure their food.
On the hills, which are very rocky, the grass grew luxuriantly, although the soil is shallow and poor; but in the gullies Mr.Cunningham found some good loamy ground, in which he sowed a few peach-stones, which would doubtless thrive, were it not for the fires of the natives.
We saw very few pine-trees that exceeded forty feet in height, and the cones were not yet formed.

Mr.Cunningham remarked a great similarity between the botanical productions of this part and of the north coast, although there is a difference in latitude of ten degrees.
After weighing, the wind, which was at South-West, gradually died away.
During the evening we passed Beverly Group (the Five Island cluster of Captain Flinders) and at sunset anchored in sixteen fathoms fine sand and shells, near Double Isle.
June 6.
The whole of the next day and night was spent in endeavouring to approach the main, but we made very little progress.

During the day natives' fires were burning on many of the islands and the coast of the main was enveloped in smoke.
June 7.
At daylight on the 7th the cutter was about eight miles East by South from Point Slade, with a projecting bluff cape in sight, which proved to be Captain Cook's Cape Hilsborough.
The country in the vicinity and particularly to the southward of the Cape is rocky and mountainous; but the lower grounds are verdant and well clothed with timber; and, judging from the numerous fires along the coast, it must be very populous; the islands near it are rocky and very barren, but many of them being wooded with pine-tree have a picturesque appearance.
In the evening, having passed round the Cape, we anchored in Repulse Bay, at about three miles from the shore, which is here low and fronted by a chain of low islands, apparently connected by reefs.

Water was seen over the low land at the bottom of the bight in the South-West side of the bay, and is probably a lagoon.
June 8.
The next morning we steered to the North-West to look at the head of Repulse Bay; the bottom of which appears to be correctly described by Captain Cook as being bounded by low land.

I obtained a view of it from the summit of one of the islands, named in my chart the Repulse Isles, off which we anchored in the afternoon.
These islets are furnished with a very poor and shallow soil.