Land on the north side of Blue-mud Bay: taken Jan. 29. 1803 at eleven a.m.

Rare coastal profile from sheet XVII of Flinders hydrographic atlas. 

Blue Mud Bay is situated on the eastern coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, facing Groote Eylandt on the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

‘January 27, 1803

Next morning we steered westward, with a fair wind, to explore the main coast up to Mount Grindall, and see the northern part of Blue-mud Bay. 

January 28, 1803

Whilst the botanists continued to follow their pursuits upon Point Blane, I went over in the whale-boat to Mount Grindall, with the landscape painter; from whence, after cutting down some small trees at the top, my view extended over all the neighbouring islands, points, and bays. Blue-mud Bay was seen to reach further north than Mount Grindall, making it to be upon a long point, which I also named Point Grindall, from respect to the present vice-admiral of that name; further west, in the bay, was a stream running five or six miles into the land, terminating in a swamp, and with shoal banks and a low island at the entrance; all the northern part of the bay, indeed, seemed to be shallow, and to have no ship passage into it on the north side of Isle Woodah. The large bight between Points Grindall and Blane extended two leagues above the ship, but it did not appear to receive any stream of water; a still larger bight, between Point Blane and Cape Shield was also visible, though not so distinct as to speak of it particularly: the extremity of the cape bore S. 76° 15’ E. An observation to the north and south, taken on the outermost rocks, places Mount Grindall in 13° 15½’ south; and the longitude from survey is 136° 6 1/3’ east. Mr. Westall’s sketch in the Atlas, taken from the ship at anchor under Point Blane, will show the appearance of this mount and of the neighbouring land. (Atlas, Pl. XVIII. View 13.)’

On 14 June 1810 Flinders had sailed for England. He arrived on 23 October and received belated promotion to post captain. In failing health, he prepared his monumental work A Voyage to Terra Australis; it was published on 18 July 1814, the day before he died.