Lieutenant Jeffreys), but found the anchorage more open than had been
expected.

Snapper Island is high and covered with a thick impenetrable mass of
underwood, but no fresh water was found. The ashes of a fireplace,
strewed around with broken shells, was the only trace seen of natives.
The beach, like that of Fitzroy Island, is composed of dead coral and is
fronted by rocks.

June 25.

We left this anchorage the next morning with a fresh breeze of wind from
south-east; as we steered round Cape Tribulation the sea ran so heavy
that our boat, which was towed astern, filled and overset, and in a
moment went to pieces. The wind had now increased to a gale, and the
weather threatened so much that we were induced to take advantage of a
bight to the northward of the Cape, in which we anchored at three
quarters of a mile from the mouth of a rivulet, the entrance of which was
blocked up by a ridge of rocks on which the water rippled; we were here
tolerably well sheltered by high land from the wind, and the water was
quite smooth.

June 26.

On the following day, the weather continued so unfavourable that we
remained at the anchorage, and Mr. Bedwell was sent to examine the
opening, which was called Blomfield's Rivulet. On his return he reported
the bar to be too shoal to admit an entrance to vessels of greater
draught than four feet, but that having passed it, the inlet runs up a
considerable distance, with soundings from three to four fathoms.