Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]

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the meridian of Cape Chatham. After which, entering a current setting

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ead, and at eight o'clock was seen from the deck at the dist

their voyage, and it appears from an examination of their tracks that the coast between Capes Leeuwin and Peron, the latter of which is about five leagues to the southward of the entrance of Swan River, has been sufficiently examined by them.

the embouchure of a salt-marsh; it is scarcely attainable even by boats; for there appears to be only three feet water on the bar, and over and within it not more than fifteen feet. The French found no fresh water in any part of Geographe Bay. From Port Leschenault to Cape Peron the coast i

e to Cape Peron, in order to explore the bay behind the Isles of Louis Napoleon. Swan River and Rottnest Island had been already carefully examined by the French; but fr

. Freycine

tic). At six o'clock in the evening we passed Cape Naturaliste, having experienced a strong current setting North 11 degrees West, at nearly two miles per hour; hence we steered to the northward, bu

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about Cape Peron in sight from the masthead, bearing East by South 1/2 South; but during

he small rocky islet between it and Cape Peron. The former is low and sandy, and its outline of hummocky shape; and to the eastward was some distant land trending towards the assigned entrance of Swan River. To the northward

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half-past nine o'clock we were between Capes Peron and Bouvard, and about five miles from the

e most remarkable instance of mirage that we ever witnessed; the haze had only commenced a few minutes before noon, whilst the observation for the latitude was in the act of being taken; and immediately after I was employed upon the chart for half an hour, puzzling myself in attempting to reconcile the observed latitude with the bearings of the land. This curious phenomenon was also witnessed by the French in Geographe Bay. During the time this mag

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in sight in the North-North-East. At six o'clock the sky was clouded, and the weather threatened to be bad; the mercury fell to 29.69 inches, upon which all sail was made off the land, as appe

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land are principally calcareous and in a very advanced state of decomposition. The beaches were covered with dead shells of the genera buccinum, bulla, murex, trochus, and haliotis; but we found none with the living animal in them. Of the feathered tribe a hawk and a pigeon were the only land-birds seen; but boobies, terns, and sandpipers were very numerous about the shores. Mr. Cunningham was fully employed during the short time that we were on shore, and excepting the pleasing interest created in our minds by landing on an island which has been so seldom before seen, and which from Vlaming's account bears a prominent place in the history of this part of the coast, he was the only one of the party that derived any advantage from our visit. Of the productions of this island he makes the following brief remarks: "It is surprising that an island, situated at so short a distance from the south-west coast, should bear so small a feature of the characteristic vegetation of King George's Sound as not to furnish a plant of its several genera of Proteaceae or Mimoseae, and but a solitary plant of Leguminosae. It would therefore seem that these families are confined to the shores of the main, particularly

ces; nor did we see the animal, on account of whose numbers and resemblance to a rat the island received its name from Vlaming in 1619. M. Peron says that it forms a new genus, and of a very remarkable character.* Rottnest Island does not appear ever to have bee

Peron volume

Cunningham

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had brought up; for the vessel was not only exposed to a considerable swell but the ground was so foul that in weighing

continued to run northerly along the shore at the distance of six miles from it. At noon our latitude was 31 degrees 37 minutes 32 seconds. The coast is formed by sandy hillocks, or dunes, of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet high, here and there sprinkled with shrubs, but in many parts quite bare: behind this frontier a second range of hills was occasionally seen on which the trees appeared to be of moderate size: the shore is rocky for two miles off and in many parts the sea broke. At half-past three o'clock we were abreast of a low, sandy projection, supposed to be Captain Baudin's Cape Leschenau

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distance of four or five miles, and sounding in between nineteen and twenty-five fathoms. At four o'clock we were abreast of a bare sandy point which appeared to be the north head of Jurien Bay, in which two rocky islets were seen, fronted by reefs, on which the sea in many parts was breaking violently. To the southward of the point the coast hills are rather high and principally formed of very white sand, bearing a strong resemblance, from the absence of vegetables, to hi

t page 175 et seq and Peron

a moderate size were seen; they are thus noticed because the existence of trees hereabout is so rare as to be deserving of record. No native fires were seen between this part and Rottnest Island, nor was there any other indication of the coast being inhabited; it is however likely to be as populous as any other part, for the hills in the int

off for the night we shortened sail and brought to the wind, then blowing a strong squally breeze from south; but notwit

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ne hundred and fifty feet high, slightly studded with a scrubby vegetation; in the interior we perceived a range of hills of tabular form which are probably very high. At ten o'clock we passed another patch of breakers at the distance of about a mile and a half; but these appeared to have no connexion with those seen at nine o'clock. Our soundings were between fifteen and seventeen fathoms, and our distance from the beach from six to seven miles. At noon the wind veered back to South-South-West and blew hard

and of Frederick Houtman's Abrolhos, which for some time the masthead man persisted was only the shadow of the clouds; but a small hummock being soon afterwards descried upon the summit of the largest, confirmed my conjectures. The group appeared to consist of three islands, all low and of small size. Beyond and around them the sea was

ght miles off, between Wes

iles off, North-

seven miles o

ck patch, half a

s in latitude 28 degrees 53 minutes and in longitude 114 degrees 2 minutes, and from the short interval between our obtaining sights for the chronometer and the meridional observation at noon, the position may be considered

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nd of the range were four or five hills standing apart from each other, of which, in the view we then had of them, the northernmost was flat-topped, and the others peaked; at the south en

terre est tres haute; on y remarque deux montagnes bien reconnoisables par leur forme qui approche de celle de la Grange, sur la cote de Saint-Domingue, ou de la Montagne de la Table au Cap d

De Freycin

lls were flat-topped of course they were similar to the Table Land of

d were named Menai Hills, and the three at the south end of the range were distinguished by the name of Wizard Hills; Mount Fairfax is in latitude 28 degrees 45 minutes 20 seconds, longitude 114 degrees 38 minutes 45 seconds. The shore in front of these hills is sandy and there w

nothing could be distinguished. At noon, the brig being in 28 degrees 25 minutes 42 seconds South, and 114 degrees 7 minutes 0 seconds East, the haze partially cleared away and showed that the coast had changed its character, being now ste

vink, since she was the first vessel that passed them (Anno 1697). Captain Hamelin in the Naturaliste also passed within them

rer que nous ayons vu les Abrolhos; d'autres, et je suis de ce nombre, peusent que ce que

the bottom appeared to be a bed of small water-worn quartzose pebbles not larger than a pin's head. Off Moresby's Flat-topped Range the bottom is of a soft dark-gray-coloured sand of a very fine quality that would afford good anchorage was it not for the constant swell that pervades t

d to winds from South-West by South, from which quarter it must frequently blow. The country appeared very rocky; the slight vegetation covering its surface gave it a greenish hue, but no trees were seen near the shore which is fronted by a sandy beach; the depth of the bight is probably five or six miles. The cliffs of Red Point partake of a reddish tinge and appear to be disposed nearly in horizontal strata. In the centre and about halfway between

the night and, standing off and on, sounded i

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ing upon it with a tremendous roar, and heard distinctly by us. The wind falling in the afternoon induced me to stand off shore, when we soon lost sight of the land. At noon we were in latitude 27 degrees 5 minutes 18 seconds. At one o'clock the depth was forty-five fathoms fine gray sand. No land was se

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ard parallel to the beach, but the haze was still so great as to render the land very indistinct. We saw enough of it however to be convinced of its perfect sterility. The

rapidly to increase; the thermometer

had it. At two o'clock the brig passed round the cape and, as there was an appearance of good shelter in the bay to the eastward of it, we hauled in and at half-past three o'clock anchored in twelve fathoms fine grav

over the arid and parched surface of the coast, that my seaweed hygrometer, which had been quite damp since we left Rottnest

the French had affixed a record of their visit, as well as the more ancient one of the Dutch navigators,

nomenclature. One that was caught measured eleven feet in length but the greater number were not more than three or four feet long. Th

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the heel of a ship's royal-mast or part of a studding-sail boom; upon one side of it a flag had been fastened by nails. A careful search was made all round but, as no signs of the Dutch plate or of the more recent French inscription were seen, it was conjectured that they had been removed by the natives; but since our return to England I have learnt that they are preserved in the Museum of the Institute at Paris, where they had been deposited by M. De Freycinet upon his return from his late voyage round the world. After t

me trifling repairs that could not be effected at sea. We were also prevented from moving, from the unfavourable state of the weather; for

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the next morning they were all found dead, having killed themselves by their exertions to escape, and from their exposure to the heat of the sun which was so g

und varieties of sponge and coral; and beche de mer were observed in the crevices of the rocks but were neither large nor plentiful. Mr. Cunningham saw two land snakes, one of which was about four feet in length; the colour of its back was black and the belly yellow; the only quadruped seen was a small

Dampier volu

me 2 page 227 et seq an

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heave-hole of the larger post, into which it was fixed, and near it Mr. Roe piled up a heap of stones. After this was accomplished the party walked for some distance along the beach to the south-west of the cape, where they found the remains

ard to complete the survey of the north-west coast before our return to Port Jackson, which I now found would of necessity be at least four or five weeks before the time I had fixed upon when we left the Mauritius. As it would take up a great portion of the time we had now left to make a more extensive examination of Shark's Bay than what the French have already performed, and would entirely prevent my going upon the north-west coast again; it was determined tha

se sand, united in small circular kernels by a calcareous cement in which some shells were found embedded.

natives, in the whole length of our walk along the edge of the cliffs or the plains, but we saw two snakes of very distinct kinds, each exceeding five feet in length; the one black with a yellow belly, the other green and black, but they quickly escaped into holes, leaving a serpentine impression of their bodies upon the sand. These marks were seen and remarked near the edge of all the holes, which were very numerous upon the surface of the island, before I discovered that they were the tracks of reptiles, from which it may be inferred that these animals are very abundant. The only bird seen was a solitary species of loxia, but upon a steep ledge of rocks I observed one of those nests of which frequent mention has been already made: I examined and found it built upon the pinnacle of some large rocks, very strongly constructed of long sticks; it was about five feet high and exceeded four feet in diameter, with a very slight cavity above; and seemed to have been very recently inhabited. The rocks that formed its base were ornamented with a prostrate capparis, or calyptranthus (Calyptranthus orbicularis, Cunnin

Cunningham

ight embark forty or fifty every day, for they are very sluggish and make no effort to escape, perhaps from knowing the impossibility of their scrambling over the rocky barrier that fronts the shore, and dries at half ebb. Of fish we caught only two kinds; the snapper, a species of sparus, called by the French the rouge bossu, and a te

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noticed by Mr. Roe in an East by South direction from the masthead at twenty minutes before one o'clock but, if the position assigned to it by the French is correct, we had pass

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ddish-coloured rocky bluff that presents a precipitous face to the sea. The coast thence takes a North by East direction; it is low and sandy and front

ds to the East-North-East and forms a shallow bay. This projection was called

caries' garden at Chelsea. The coast to the northward of Point Anderson is higher than to the southward and falls back to the North-East, but was very imperfectl

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ell as low as 29.76 inches and, although the thermometer was at 79 degrees and the sun powerful, yet the atmosphere was so charged with moisture that the decks and everything out of t

m the South-West; and being occupied in shifting the main topsail which had split du

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glare of the sun was the only part at all discernible, it seemed to be of moderate height, very level, and offering no particular mark that could be set with any chance of recognition to obtain a cros

te. See

y at noon. The northern extreme, Vlaming's Head, bore North-East by East 1/2 East and the south extreme South 7 degrees West; and in the be

l. At half-past three o'clock Vlaming Head bore south six miles and three quarters off: at four o'clock the latitude, by the moon's meridional altitude, was found to be 21 degrees 38 minutes 27 seconds, at which time sights were taken for the chronometer, w

inutes 7 seconds South, which is nearly 10 minutes too northerly. Captain Horsburgh, in the supplement to his Directory, notices some islands seen by the San Antonio in 1818, called Piddington's Islands, that are said to lie in the latitude of 21 degrees 36 minutes, but after

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h of three of our turtles. At three o'clock a breeze springing up from the westward enabled us to steer to the northward round the Montebello Islands, in doing which we saw nothing of Hermite Island, which the French have laid down as the westernmost island of that group. There is certainly no land to the westward of Trimouille Island; and the error can only be accounted for by Captain Baudin's havin

ome stones on board as ballast, for the brig was so very light and leewardly that it would have been running a great risk to approach the land, as she then was. But in this we were disappointed, for after an interval of close sultry weather, and a severe thunderstorm, a gale of wind set in from the South-West, during which the barometer fell as low as 29.36 inches. The gale then veered gradually round to the North-West, and obliged us to make

Febr

of the Imperieuse (the westernmost) Shoal; which we now found to extend nearly four miles more

t ten miles from the vessel's track, and Mr. Roe, from the masthead, thought th

42 minutes 51 seconds and longitude 119 degrees 32 minutes 4 seconds, without seeing any signs of it for ten miles on either side o

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n frequently noticed in the vicinity of the reefs, but we have been very little affected by the tides by which they must be occasioned. At noon we were by observation in 17 degrees 43 minutes 41 seconds and longitu

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hrough the night North-East by East, we were in nin

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st direction; within which we at first attempted to pass but, finding that they were connected to the point, hauled up to steer through them where they seemed to be the least dangerous. As we approached the noise was terrific and, although we were not more than two minutes amongst the bre

rom the shore over a space which, at our last visit, appeared to be occupie

tide, which was evidently running with considerable rapidity and drifting us, without our having the means of preventing it, towards a cluster of small rocks and islands through which we could not discover any outlet, and which were so crowded that in the dangerous predicament in which we found ourselves placed they bore a truly awful and terrific appearance. At this time I was at my usual post, the masthead, directing the steerage of the vessel; but a

ooing and waving their arms; we were so near to one party that they might have thrown their spears on board; they had a dog with them which Mr. Cunningham remarked to be black. By this time we were flying past the shore with such velocity that it made us quite giddy; and our situation was too awful to give us time to observe the motions of the Indians; for we were entering the narrowest part of the strait, and the next moment were close to the rock which it appeared to be almost impossible to avoid; and it was more than probable that the stream it divided would carry us broadside upon it, when the consequences would have been truly dreadful; the current, or sluice, was se

to the southward that had the appearance of being an island; it was afterwards found to be a projection, forming the east head of a bay, and was subsequently called after my friend Mr

rom carrying us back through the strait: the bare idea of this impending danger reconciled me to determine upon sacrificing an anchor, for, from the nature of the bottom, it seemed next to impossible that we could recover it, if once dropped. Just, however, as the tide was beginning to turn, a breeze sprang up fro

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of mud, and the depth nine and ten fathoms: the land appeared a good deal broken, like islands, but from the vessel the coast seemed to be formed by a continuity of deep bays that may perhaps afford good anchorage. On one of the sandy beaches at the back of the bay near Park Hillock, so-called from its green

unningham there was plenty of fresh water; but he saw nothing like land to the South-East; the coast trended from Point Cunningham to the south, and was of low wooded sandy land. The heat was excessive; the thermometer at noon, out of the influence o

about; and several fireplaces were noticed that had very recently been used; a fresh-water stream was running down the rocks into the sea, and at the back of th

er. After leaving Point Cunningham they pulled round the rocks, which extended for some distance off the point, and then entered a bay, all over which they f

favour, were six hours before they reached the vessel; from which Mr. Roe calculated the distan

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nk that fronts the bay; indeed we were obliged to anchor until the tide rose high enough to permit our crossing it. At two o'clock we again got u

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at which time the horizon, from being clearer, would have presented a more distinct view of distant objects. The group of islands to the eastward was observed to extend no farther to

s, but the natives did not make their appearance. The foot-marks of men and boys were evident on the sand below the high-water mark, and the remains of fireplaces, and where the natives had been manufacturing spears, were of recent date. The gentlemen brought off a few shells and some insects, among which was a beautiful sphynx; besides which one of the boat's crew caught a spe

ve completed our water at this point, but from the place appearing to be populous and, as the vessel could not be anchored

rough some light coloured water and, before we could extricate the brig, were in three and a half fathoms; the anchor was immediately dropped underfoot and, with the assistance of the sails, which were kept full, the vessel was retained whilst the whale-boat

called at Mr. Cunningham's wish, Carlisle Head, and the bay in which we anchored, Goodenough Bay, in compliment to the Right Rev

ght and day between 85 and 89 degrees, and when the breeze was light or the weather calm the air was ins

upon being joined by three others, who came towards them from Point Cunningham, got up and walked away. We have yet to learn how far these people ma

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om which we experienced any wind; the breeze generally blew strong at night, whilst during the day it was light, or nearly calm; so that during the night

able to avoid it. At a little before five o'clock the flood-tide was nearly expended and obliged us to drop the chain-cabled anchor at the distance of three miles from Foul Point, upon a bottom of rotten yellow-coloured rock th

es East, and which, from the loss and perplexity we met with in it, was afterwards called Di

ared to be very low and level, and similar to the character of the coast on the southward of Cape Leveque. At sunset when the haze cleared off and the appearance of the land gradually sank below the horizon we w

ed among the trees and bushes which here grow close down to the waterside; they were armed with spears and appeared to be watching

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eather was calm and the brig could not be got underweigh, either with safety or utility,

o visit Repulse Point, in order to make what observations they could upon the further trend of the land; but no sooner had they left the vessel than a breeze sprung up and freshened to a gale in which our cable parted; and as there was no chance of dropping another anchor with a prospect of recovering it, we were obliged to return to our former anchorage in Goodenough Bay; but, owing to the tide being

d not been able to land, but had encountered much danger from the small size of the boat, which shipped a great deal of water, so that by the time it arrived they were completely drenched with the spray of the sea. They had only observed our signals for a few minutes before their arrival;

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lost anchor but returned at night without success; for the tide was so strong that the buoy did not watch. The next morning it was

rth, which place would afford both security for the vessel and facility for procuring these articles. This delay might also be made serviceable by employing a part of the crew at the same time in the boats in examining the islands in Rogers Strait, and tracing the continuation of the mainland behind the islands that form the south-east coast of Camden Bay, of which we knew nothing.

voyage to Port Jackson; the hope however of procuring more information of this part of the coast was so inviting that I did not despair of effecting something in a fortnight wort

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any time; but from various delays of calm weather and advers

ed; but as Sunday Strait, through which the brig had been drifted before we

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ight drifting through it with a rapid ebb-tide without a breath of wind. The tide however lasted long enough to carry us out, and when the flood comm

, behind the islands of the Archipelago, where it is also probable there is an opening trending to the south-east. The great rise and fall of the tides in the neighbourhood of Point Gantheaume gives a plausibility to this opinion; and the only thing that I know

it passed rapidly over and brought a strong gust of wind, before which we were obliged to scud. After blowing most tempestuously for an hour the wind moderated, and the night passed without any repetition of it; we had however run five miles to leeward: had we been obliged to do this last night when underway in Cygnet Bay

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about two or three miles in length; a dry sand extends for five miles from its south end, and as far as one mile from its north-west point; but the covered part of the reef is more extensive, and appeared rocky. At the distance of three miles and a half, in a north-west direction from its north end, are two dry sandbanks which are probably covered at high-water. Light-coloured wat

ernoon, the thermometer being at 89 degrees, and when exposed to the sun the mercury rose to 125 degrees. Towards sunset large flights of boo

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n the North-East, from which quarter at daylight the weather clouded i

eather clouded in and threatened us with another squall from the eastward. The thermometer stood at 88 degrees, and the barometer at 29.81 inches: half an hour before sunset the clouds, which had collected in the eastern horizon, began to thicken and approach us with loud thunder and vivid lightning: all the sails, except the topsails which

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our doing any good upon the coast, as well as increasing the danger of navigating among reefs and islands where the tides were so strong. The next morning at daylight we had a squall with rain and wind from

ry 21

to the northward of Rowley's Shoals which, upon passing, we found a strong current setting towards them at the rate of one mile an hour. This indraught increases the danger of navigating near this part bu

ruary 24

e frequent from the eastward than from any other point of the compass, I became reconciled to the step I had taken o

nd 89 degrees and the weather was conse

h 3

d. On this course we were accompanied by immense shoals of albicores (Scomber thynnus, Linn.) but they were of small size; very few measured more than twenty inches in length, and the average weight about ten pounds: The meat was very good and tender and as a great number of the fish were caught, proved a grateful relief to our salt diet. The atmo

11 t

the ground we had lost by its having been so much from the southward. After this we had variable breezes between South and East-South-East but the cu

re was very dry until the south-easterly winds returned, when it became more humid; but as we approached the southern limit of this South-East wind, which may be considered to bear more of the character of a periodical wind than the trade, the atmo

I never saw the latter bird before so far without the tropic; but here was one nearly five hundred miles to the southward of it, and at least three hundred le

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d by rats that instead of having thirteen tons we had only nine on board, but as

ch

s found necessary to make a consid

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which we obtained pleasing and satisfactory news of our friends at Sydney, as also the gratifying intelligence of the promotion of myself to the rank of commander, and of Messrs. Bedwell and Roe to that of lieutenant. The promotion of the latter gentleman was under circumstances of t

her, which delayed our arrival so long that we had expended all

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g our arrival at Sydney by the 2