considerable bar harbours in Europe; and which are much frequented by
vessels adapted to their navigation.

Within the port the water deepens to five and six fathoms, which depth
continues for nearly ten miles, when the rapids of the river render it
impracticable for craft drawing more than six or eight feet; which depth
continues for six or eight miles farther, when the falls commence; it may
however, when the river is ordinarily full, be navigable for boats
some little distance farther.

My report to your excellency of the proceedings of the expedition of
discovery on its return in October, 1818, will have put your excellency
in possession of the nature and description of country watered by the
River Hastings from its source until it falls into the sea at Port
Macquarie.

To that report I respectfully beg to refer your excellency, as my
opportunities of examining the country, at that period, were of course so
much more extensive. To the productions of the country as then reported,
may now be added great quantities of rose wood, the flooded gum, and
coal. Flint was before noticed lying in large masses on the beach. The
coal, as appears to me, may be worked without difficulty, as I think that
a stratum of it pervades the whole of the south side of the harbour,
which stratum is again seen southerly as far as Camden Haven.

I herewith respectfully submit to your excellency a plan of the entrance
into the port, with a sketch of part of Hastings River, for which I am
principally indebted to the assistance rendered me on all occasions by
Lieutenant King, who, I am happy in reporting to your excellency, fully
coincides with me, as to the advantages that may he expected to result