en tered the ground, where they not only formed roots, but became
fupporters to the tree.
Mr. Flinders thought this fruit might be the mellori o f the Nicobar
Iflands. The deicription given o f the mellori * in the third volume of
the Afiatic Refearchescorrefponded with it in every particular, as far
as his examination went; but not having at that time any idea o f
the value o f the tree, and the fubjeft being foreign to his purfuit, he
did ,not give it much attention.
This bay not appearing to deferve more than a fuperficial examination,
Mr. Flinders did not think it worth confirming much
o f his time, and therefore got under way at one o’clock in the afternoon
o f the 12th.
He could not give any particular mark that would point out the
: fituation o f Shoal Bay, except its latitude, and the fomewhat remarkably
peaked hill lying about four leagues to the fouthward o f
it. Were any veffel ever likely to vifit it, it would be neceflary
to obferve, that either o f two heads, which bore from the vel-
■ fel S- W. by W. and W. by N. behind which there was fome appearance
of an inlet, might be miftaken for the fouth head o f the
bay.
On Saturday the 13th, about ten in the morning, they were
three miles diftant from Cape Byron, and at the fame time the
-peak o f Mount Warning was juft appearing over it. Having hauled
more off the fhore foon after noon, to avoid the reef lying off
Point Danger, on the following morning they found themfelves at
a confiderable diftance from the land. They now fleered weft for
a large fpace, where no land was vifible, and, perceiving breakers off
the fouth point o f the opening, were fatisfied that this was More-
ton-Bay. Paffing between thefe breakers and Point Lookout, they
got grpund in twenty fathoms water. As they drew nearer, there
* The manner of 'co o lin g this fruit, mellori, is given in the defcription, and may be found
in the Annual Regifter for 1794,
6 appeared
appeared to be a very large extent o f water within the opening;
but Mr. Flinders fufpeaed that there was not any paffage for a vef-
fel in the direftion he was then fleering, along the Ihore for the
northern extreme of the land. The country to the fea-ward was
wretchedly fandy. At dulk Cape Moreton bore weft, diftant two
or three miles ; and the higheft Glafs-Houfe, whofe peak was juft ■
prefenting itfelf over- the diftant land, had opened round it at W.
3 ° or 40 N. Two hummocks refembling haycocks, diftinft from
any other land, opened foon after a few degrees to the fouthward.
- The veffel was now hauled in round Cape Moreton, to go into
Glafs-Houfe Bay. They fleered weft till eight o’ clock, when, having
little wind, and that little being from the fouthward, they
dropped anchor for the night. Weighing again the next morning
the 14th, they worked near the eaftern fhore until noon, at
which time their latitude was 27°. 00'. 29". fouth ; and Cape More-
ton bearing E. to 0 N. two or three miles would be in the fame
latitude, allowing the variation to be IS Eaft. This differs four
miles and a half from its fituation in Captain Cook’s-Narrative.
While ranging within a mile o f the fhore, ten natives were
counted, half of whom were probably women, from their keeping
behind the others. The men made many antic geftures to our people.
One had a green branch in his hand, which he waved to and fro at
the- extent of his arm, from the ground on one fide of him to that
on the other ; and fome of them would run into the water occafion-
allv and beat: the furf with flicks. They appeared to be friendly,
ufing nearly the fame word in calling our people that would have
been made ufe of by a Port Jackfon native, and feemed deftrous that
they fbould proc.eed up the hay. :
At eight in the. evening they anchored in eleven fathoms
water, a b o u t two miles from a low fandy fhore on the weft fide of
the bay. . . , ,
At day-light on Tuefday the 16th, they, again weighed to turn upthe
bay, having the wind ftM from the fouthward. In their progreis,