Kangaroos are very numerous, and from their traces appeared of large size; but we saw neither emus nor native dogs.
As a port this place will never be the resort of vessels of larger burthen than 100 tons, there not being more than ten feet water on the bar; which on account of the swell will not admit vessels of a greater draught than nine feet: this is a great drawback upon its prosperity; but the small coasting vessels from Sydney will be sufficiently large for the purposes of conveying produce to Port Jackson.

It cannot long remain as a penal establishment for its utility in that respect is already lost, since the convicts find their way back to the colony as soon as an opportunity offers of escaping; and then, for fear of detection, remain concealed in its outskirts, and are necessarily driven to plunder and rob for subsistence.
A very great advantage attending the settling of this part is its free communication with the interior, and with that vast space of fine country situated between Lieutenant Oxley's Track on the parallel of 30 degrees, and Bathurst.

This region has lately (1823) been travelled over by my indefatigable friend Mr.Cunningham and found to possess a large portion of excellent soil and rich pasturage; it contains altogether at least twelve millions of acres in which it would be difficult to discover a bad tract of country of any extent; but as one-fourth part is the general calculation in the colony for waste land, nine millions of the richest country will be left for future colonization: many years however must elapse before it can be occupied.
The description of the interior of New South Wales is so foreign to my object, and so irrelevant to the subject before me that I must entreat the indulgence of my reader for this digression; and return to the Mermaid, already described as having left the port and parted company with the Lady Nelson, conveying my friend Lieutenant Oxley to Port Jackson, and leaving us to resume our voyage.
As soon as we had obtained an offing the wind freshened up to a strong breeze from the westward, attended with squally and unfavourable weather; but we were enabled to make some useful observations upon the coastline as far as the next point to the southward of Smoky Cape; when night obliged us to steer more off shore.
The country behind the beach was lined with natives' fires which were kindled as we passed to attract our notice.

To the southward of Smoky Cape the land is very low and probably occupied by large lagoons.
May 22.
The next evening Mount Warning was seen from the deck although we were at least seventy-eight miles from it.
May 23.
On the 23rd at noon our latitude was 28 degrees 9 minutes 5 seconds, when the Mount bore South 58 degrees West (Magnetic).

At sunset the wind died away; and, from the land in the vicinity of the mountain indicating every appearance of the existence of either a large sheet of water or an opening of consequence, I was induced to remain two days to examine the beach more narrowly; but, after beating about with a strong south-easterly current which prevented my tracing the beach to the northward of the Mount, and having only seen an inconsiderable opening that communicates by a shoal channel with a small lagoon at the back of the beach, I gave up the search; still without satisfying myself of the non-existence of an inlet, which, if there be one, probably communicates with the sea nearer to Point Danger.* (*Footnote.