The Brisbane river enters the bay about the middle of its western side, and, having been the means of opening up an immense extent of the finest pastoral country, it has conferred a considerable degree of importance upon the place as a harbour, although beset with numerous shoals and narrow winding passages, through which the tides run with great force.

The entrance to the river has a depth of only 10 or 11 feet at high-water, consequently, is available for small vessels only; the best anchorage for larger ones is five miles distant.

The banks are constantly shifting, and the channel is intricate.

When to this is added that the settlement--consisting of the townships of North and South Brisbane, and Kangaroo Point, is situated 14 miles from the river mouth--it was not surprising that a proposal had been made to establish a trading port elsewhere in the bay, so that the wool and other produce of the district, might be shipped direct for England.
PROCEEDINGS THERE.
For this purpose, Cleveland Point (at the south-east side of the bay) had been suggested, and the Colonial Government requested Captain Stanley's opinion on the subject: which is as follows.

"This," says he, "is the worst possible place I ever saw for such a purpose; from the proposed site of the town, a low rocky point only a few feet above the level of high-water, projects for more than a mile in the sea; and from both sides of this, mudflats, that become dry at low-water, extend for a very considerable distance.