This was the first opportunity that had occurred by which I could compare my longitude with that of Captain Baudin; and as the Peak of Peron Island is one of his fixed points, and is placed by him in 127 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds, I find that my chart is in this part 6 minutes 24 seconds to the eastward.
In order to set at rest the question of the insularity of this land we passed within it, but not without difficulty, from the numerous shoals that are scattered over the channel.

A smoke was seen upon the smaller island among the trees for a few minutes, but no people made their appearance as we passed by.

The natives of this part of the coast were seen probably by Tasman; for in Mr.Dalrymple's Papua the following paragraph is found: "In latitude 13 degrees 8 minutes and longitude 146 degrees 18 minutes 6 seconds East (probably 129 1/2 degrees East of Greenwich, and answering to this part) the people are bad and wicked, shooting at the Dutch with arrows without provocation, when they were coming on shore.

It is here very populous." On arriving abreast of the peaked hill above-mentioned, a considerable shoal, connected with the mainland, appeared to separate us from it; in crossing it we had three fathoms, and as soon as we passed over it the water deepened instantly to thirteen fathoms.

We then bore up and steered through the channel between the islands and the main, which was both narrow and deep towards Channel Point; close to which we had sixteen fathoms, and then hauled up round Peron's South Island.
The land from Channel Point trends to the South-South-East, and forms a tolerably deep bight of low, sandy land, terminated by Cliff Head, a high rocky projection well furnished with trees.