Sydney, that the schooner Admiral Gifford had arrived a month ago, and that great fears had been entertained regarding our safety.
Next morning, the brig got under weigh, but grounded in the entrance of Princess Royal Harbour, and remained there the greatest part of the day. Lieutenant Sleeman came on board, early in the morning, to welcome his successor, and Captain Barker and I went on shore to breakfast with him.
The settlement was very healthy, not so short of provisions as we had imagined, and they had an abundance of vegetables. After breakfast, I took a walk with Dr. Davis, to view the Government Farm, situated about a mile or two from Frederic Town (so named by Major Lockyer), to which a very good road had been made.
On our return, we walked to the summit of Mount Melville, whence we had a very extensive view of the surrounding country, which bore a decided resemblance to the land about the Cape of Good Hope, when viewed from the top of Table Mountain.
A range of mountains extended from the north-west to north-east, about the same distance from Mount Melville as the Hottentot mountains are from Table Mountain. Another tier was observed to the westward, evidently the coast range; between these, there appeared to be level land, and thither I determined to make an excursion, during the time the brig re-
