We found the tide much weaker on this side of the entrance, not exceeding three miles an hour; the stream ran up three-quarters of an hour after high-water.

The times of high-water for the last three days had been most unaccountably the same.
December 5.
Crossed over to Point Pearce at daylight, but the wind being light all the morning did not reach an anchorage till the afternoon; the extreme of the point bearing North 41 degrees West three-quarters of a mile.

A line of ripplings extended a couple of miles off to the south-west of it, in which we found there was only four fathoms.

In standing across the entrance we passed first a bank of three fathoms, with six and seven on each side; Turtle Point bearing South 45 degrees West 11 miles; then two more, one of seven and eight fathoms, with twelve and seventeen on each side, the other of only two fathoms with twelve on the south, and twenty on the north side.
MERMAID BANK.
We subsequently found the latter to be a continuation of the bank on which Captain King had five fathoms, Point Pearce bearing North 22 degrees East 5 miles; and in order to record his visit we named it, after his vessel, Mermaid Bank.
VISIT THE SHORE FOR OBSERVATIONS.
December 7.
I left the ship in the morning to make some observations at Point Pearce for the errors of the chronometers.

I was accompanied to the shore by Mr.
Bynoe, who was going on a shooting excursion.