On deepening the water to 10 and 12 fathoms, the course was changed to West 1/2 South, passing midway between North Vernon Isle and Cape Gambier, where the width of the channel is seven miles, though the whole of it is not available for the purposes of navigation, a long detached reef lying three miles from the Cape, and a small one two miles from the North Vernon Isle.* The tide hurried the Beagle past between these reefs with some rapidity, the soundings at the time being 19 fathoms.
(*Footnote.

These isles, three in number, lying quite in the centre of the western entrance of the Strait, are fringed with extensive coral reefs.

There are, however, deep passages between them.) Having cleared Clarence Strait, and found it to be perfectly navigable with common precaution (which in a slight degree enhanced the value of the discovery of the Adelaide) our course was directed for a bay to the southward, which Captain King had not examined.

A very refreshing cool north-westerly seabreeze* had just succeeded a short calm.

Passing four miles from the western extremity of the Vernon Isles, we had irregular soundings of ten and seven fathoms.