The beach was strewed with pumice-stone heaped up above the high-water mark.
The basis of the island is a coarse-grained granite.

A shallow soil on the sides of the hills, the surface of which was thickly strewed with stones and large masses of rock, nourished a slight clothing of grass and other herbage.

The summit of the island forms a peak, and is perhaps about a thousand feet high; the island is thinly wooded with small trees which scarcely deserve the appellation of timber.
No natives were seen but it was evident they had lately been upon the island from the recent appearances of their fireplaces and the perfect state of a hut, which was a more comfortable habitation than we have usually found: it was arched over in the usual way, by twigs bent in the form of a dome; and was neatly thatched with dry grass.

No turtle marks were noticed on the beach so that I should think this was not the season for laying their eggs.
August 8.
We were detained at this anchorage from the unfavourable state of the weather until the 8th, on which day we sailed and steered for Howick Group on a direct and unimpeded course.

The channel appeared equally free on either side of the group; but as it was a material object, on account of the unfavourable state of the weather, to make sure of reaching the anchorage under Cape Flinders, we did not attempt to pass round the northern side but steered through the strait between 2 and 3, and then over our former track round Cape Melville.