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1802 Aug. [Wednesday] - 11th. Keppel Bay. Boat excursion to [examine the rivers &c.]

a mile at the distance of 10 miles up the western arm, and about 1 mile towards the entrance: from the various arms and swamps to be filled up, the tide runs with great rapidity in the lower parts.
   Upon the hills were some marks of natives and many of kanguroos, and several of the latter were seen. I met with a kind of palm, there which was new to the naturalist. It was so near to sunset on my return to the beac[indecipherable letter] that it was dark before we rowed back to the west end of the 1st. island, where we slept. +
   In the morning, we passed between the 1st. and 2nd. Middle Islands, with irregularly soundings from 8 to 3 fms. the 1st. island side seeming to be deepest.
   + Note. It was high water at 7 P.M. where we slept, and the difference in the height of the tide at that time and at low water in the night was 91/2 feet; but the high water of the next morning was 31/2 feet lower.
   The wind being southerly, we steered east from this 2nd. passage, having shoal water; but in order to get to the southern shore, we took in the sails and rowed to windward. At the distance of 1 mile from the shore there found was 5, and soon after 8 fms., being then in the stream out of from the south-western arm. The mud running out far from the southern shore, we were not able to land, but kept along it, until a shoal spit running out towards the middle of the bay obliged us to keep haul further off; and the lee tide being then strong, I thought