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Albany Island from the mainland of north-east Australia, having
the small settlement of Somerset on our port hand, and on our
starboard side a pearl-shell station known as Port Albany. The
anchorage at Somerset being of bad repute on account of the
strong currents which sweep through it, we steamed on to the
northern extremity of Albany Island, where at about 4 o’clock in
the evening we dropped our anchor in six fathoms. A party oi
officers landed at once on the shore of the mainland, and while
some wandered through the woods in search of birds, the boat
was employed in dredging over the bottom of mud and sand in
depths varying from three to five fathoms. Among the contents
of several hauls were a large number of Comatulas, a few Ophiurids,
several examples of a Pentaceros, a Goniocidaris, a spider-crab oi
the genus “ EgeriaJ an Alpheus, a Galathea clinging to the
feathered arms of a purple Comatnla, and many specimens of an
Isopod adhering to the oral surfaces of the comatular discs.
There were also a fe\y shrimps, two species of Murex, and a
volute. Some small fishes were also brought up— apparently a
species of Platycephalus.
On the following morning some of the boats were employed in
searching for an uncharted rock which was reported by the
pearl fishermen as existing somewhere near our anchorage, while
Haswell and I had the use of a whaleboat for a couple of hours’
dredging. V/e worked across the channel towards the mainland
in eight fathoms over a bottom of mud and sand, obtaining a
quantity of Comatulas and Gorgonias, a large grotesque Mui'ex,
several small Synaptcs, and a large fiat sponge.
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