A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 26

Head Kaat Ca-ber-ra Hair Kaat-jou De-war-ra Pelilogueni Nose Mo-il No-gro Mugui (Muidge, Cook) Cheek, or beard Ny-a-nuk Yar-rin Canguine Teeth Yea-al Da-ra Pegui or Canan (Kamy, C) Ear Du-ong Go-ray Vaigui (Koygee, Cook) Lips Ur-luk Wil-ling Mogude lia Throat Wurt Cad-le-an Nipple Bpep Na-bung Belly Ko-bul Bar-rong Lomangui Posteriors Wa-la-kah Boong Nune Thigh Dtou-al Knee Wo-nat Go-rook Ronga Leg Maat Dar-ra Lerai Foot Jaan Ma-no-e Pere The sun Djaat Co-ing Panubere

[* From Collins' _Account of the English Colony in New South Wales_, Vol.

I. p. 610-611]

[** _Voyage de D'Entrecasteaux_, par M. de Rossel. Tome I. p. 552 _et.

seq._ These words are written after the French p.r.o.nunciation of the letters.]

The following anatomical admeasurement of one of the best proportioned of our visitors was furnished by the surgeon, Mr. Hugh Bell:

Full height Ft. in.

Circ.u.mference of the head 5 7 6 From the transverse nasal suture to the posterior ridge 1 11 0 of the occiput 1 3 0 From the small rim of each ear across the forehead 1 0 0 From the nasal suture, over the nose, to the tip of the chin 0 5 2 From ditto to the tip of the nose 0 1 0 From the tip of the nose to the edge of the upper lip 0 1 0 From the edge of the under lip to the tip of the chin 0 1 5 Extent of the mouth 0 2 1 nostrils 0 1 6 lower jaw from each angle 0 8 6 Length of the arm 1 1 6 fore arm 1 0 0 middle metacarpal bone 0 4 0 middle finger 0 4 3 femur, from the great trochanter to its lower end 1 5 6 tibia 1 4 6 foot 0 10 0 Length from the protuberance of the inner ankle to the tip of the heel 0 3 9 Ditto to the end of the great toe 0 8 6 Circ.u.mference of the neck 1 0 6 chest 2 8 9 pelvis 2 4 9 arm 0 10 6 elbow joint 0 9 6 fore arm 0 9 9 wrist 0 6 0 thigh 1 7 6 Circ.u.mference just above the knee joint 1 1 0 of the knee joint 1 1 0 of the leg, immediately below the knee joint 0 11 0 of the leg 1 0 0 of the leg small 0 7 6 of the foot 0 10 6

Our operations at the observatory were not favoured by the weather; but a sufficient number of observations was obtained for all the purposes of navigation:

The _Lat.i.tude_ of the tents in Princess-Royal Harbour, from three meridian zenith distances of the sun, observed with Ramsden's universal theodolite, was 35 2' 5" south.

_Longitude_ from thirty-one sets of distances of the sun east and west of the moon, of which the particulars are given in Table I. of the Appendix to this volume, 117 53' 10" east.

These being reduced by the survey to BALD HEAD, at the entrance of the sound, will place it in

Lat.i.tude 35 6' 15" south.

Longitude 118 0' 45" east.*

The mean rates of the time keepers, deduced from equal alt.i.tudes taken on and between Dec. 15 and Jan. 1, and their errors from mean time at Greenwich, at noon there on the last day of observation, were as under:

h ' " "

Earnshaw's No. 543, slow 0 21 46,69 and losing 6,46 per day.

No. 520, 0 51 2,81 16,72 Arnold's No. 176, 1 0 45,46 9,26 No. 82 went too irregularly to be worth taking.

The longitude of the tents given by the time keepers on the first day of observation, with the Cape rates, was as follows:

Earnshaw's No. 543, 118 14' 49" east.

520, 117 59 22 Arnold's 176, 118 1 14

The two first, which generally throughout the voyage showed themselves to be the best time keepers, were on a mean 13' 56" to the east of the lunar observations; but by using rates accelerating in arithmetic progression from those of the Cape of Good Hope to the new ones of King George's Sound, the mean of Earnshaw's two time keepers will then differ only 8'

19" to the east in forty-four days. In fixing the position of places from Cape Leeuwin to the Sound, these accelerating rates have been used; and the longitude has been further corrected by allowing an equal proportion of the error, 8' 19", according to the number of days after Nov. 1, when the last observations were made at the Cape of Good Hope. In the Appendix, the nature of these corrections is more particularly explained.

[* The situation of Bald Head, in captain Vancouver's chart, is 35 6'

40" south, and 118 16' 30" east from lunar observations which were not corrected for the errors of the astronomical tables. The situation a.s.signed to Bald Head in the voyage of the French admiral D'Entrecasteaux, is 35 10' south, and 118 2' 40" east; but since the admiral pa.s.sed it at six in the evening, and in blowing weather, an error of a few minutes may have entered into both lat.i.tude and longitude.]

The height of the thermometer at the tents, as observed at noon, varied between 80 and 64. On board the ship, it never exceeded 70, nor was below 60. The range of the barometer was from 29,42 inches in a gale of wind from the westward, to 30,28 inches in a moderate breeze from south-west.

Mean Dip of the S. end of the needle, taken onsh.o.r.e, 64 1'

On board, upon the cabin table, 64 52'.

The increase being probably occasioned by the iron ballast in the bread room underneath.

The _Variation_ given by three compa.s.ses at the observatory was 6 22'

west, by Walker's meridional compa.s.s 5 25', and by the surveying theodolite 8 17'; but upon the _eastern_ part of the flat granite rock, on the south side of the sound, two theodolites gave only 4 1' west. On board the ship, at anchor off Point Possession, the variation from the three compa.s.ses on the binnacle., when the head was southeastward, was 9 28'; or, corrected to the meridian, 7 12' west. It seems not easy to say what ought to be considered as the true variation; but the mean of the observations at the tents being 6 42', and on board the ship 7 12', I conceive it will not be far wrong if taken at 7 0' west.

This is what I allowed in tracing a base line upon the beach between the two harbours; and the back bearings from different stations did not vary more than a degree from it, except at the _west_ end of Michaelmas Island, where the variation, in one spot, was _greater _by 3.

The above different variations show that the needle was affected by the rocks; and there will be frequent occasion, in the course of the voyage, to point out similar anomalies in the observations on land; for they were found to take place upon almost all those parts of Terra Australis, where the basis stone is of granite, as here; and also in those where green-stone, porphyry, basaltes, or iron-stone prevail; whereas in the lime, or grit-stone countries, the needle did not appear to suffer any derangement. In the Appendix No. II. to the second volume, where the changes on ship board, which arose from altering the direction of the head, are explained, this subject of the differences on sh.o.r.e is mentioned; for they also were not without a certain degree of regularity.

No set of _Tide_ was perceived on board, either whilst the ship was in the Sound or in Princess-Royal Harbour; nevertheless it was sometimes found to run with considerable strength in the narrow entrances of both harbours. According to lieutenant Flinders' observations on sh.o.r.e during sixteen days there was only one high water in twenty-four hours, which always took place between six and twelve at night; for after, by gradually becoming later, it had been high water at twelve, the next night it took place soon after six o'clock; and then happened later by three-quarters of an hour each night as before. The greatest rise observed was three feet two inches, and the least two feet eight inches.

The acc.u.mulation was made in this manner: After low water it rose for several hours; then ceased, and became stationary, or perhaps fell back a little. In a few hours it began to rise again; and in about twelve from the first commencement was high water. It was observed by Captain Cook upon the east coast of this country*, and since by many others, including myself, that the night tide rose considerably higher than that of the day; which is conformable to our observations in King George's Sound; but with this difference, that in the day we had scarcely any tide at all.

[* See Hawkesworth's Voyages, Vol. III. p. 224.]

The base line for my survey of the Sound was of 2.46 geographic miles, measured round the curve of the long beach between the two harbours. The other stations whence bearings were taken with the theodolite were--in the Sound, four; at the entrance of and within Princess-Royal Harbour, three; and in Oyster Harbour, four; at each of which a point with a circle is marked in the plan. The soundings were either taken in the ship, with simultaneous cross bearings, or in boats, generally accompanied with notices of known objects in a line, or the angles between them taken with a s.e.xtant.

There are many small but no very essential differences between my plan and that of captain Vancouver. The most important to navigation is that in the soundings going into Oyster Harbour; I could find only thirteen feet over the bar, whereas he marked seventeen; a difference, however, which may not improbably have taken place between 1791 and 1801.

CHAPTER IV.

Departure from King George's Sound.

Coast from thence to the Archipelago of the Recherche.

Discovery of Lucky Bay and Thistle's Cove.

The surrounding country, and islands of the Archipelago.

Astronomical and nautical observations.

Goose-Island Bay.

A salt lake.

Nautical observations.

Coast from the Archipelago to the end of Nuyts' Land.

Arrival in a bay of the unknown coast.

Remarks on the preceding examination.

[SOUTH COAST. FROM KING GEORGE'S SOUND.]

JANUARY 1802

In running along that part of the South Coast which lies to the west of King George's Sound, I had endeavoured to keep so close in with the land that the breaking water on the sh.o.r.e should be visible from the ship's deck; by which means our supposed distance would be little subject to error, and no river or opening could escape being seen. This close proximity could not, however, be obtained in every part, especially where the coast retreated far back; but it was always attempted where practicable and unattended with much danger or loss of time; and when it could not be done, I was commonly at the mast head with a gla.s.s. All the bearings were laid down so soon as taken whilst the land was in sight, and before retiring to rest I made it a practice to finish up the rough chart for the day, as also my journals of astronomical observations, of bearings, and of remarks. When we hauled off from the coast at night, every precaution was taken to come in with the same point in the morning, as soon after daylight as practicable; and when the situation of the ship relatively to the land of the preceding evening was ascertained, our route along the coast was resumed. This plan, to see and lay down everything myself, required constant attention and much labour, but was absolutely necessary to obtaining that accuracy of which I was desirous; and now, on recommencing the survey from King George's Sound to the eastward, I persevered in the same system; and it was adhered to, although not particularly mentioned, in all the succeeding part of the voyage.

TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 1802

(Atlas, Plate II.)

On the 5th of January, in the morning, we got under way from the Sound, having a fresh wind from the westward and squally weather. I steered between Michaelmas Island and the main, in order to explore better that part of the Sound, and ascertain the extent of a shoal running off from the north-west end of the island. It was found to run out not further than half a mile, at which distance we pa.s.sed in 5 fathoms water; and at noon, when the east end of Break-sea Island bore S. 30 W., we had 33 fathoms.

Mount Gardner is a high, conic-shaped hill, apparently of granite, very well delineated in captain Vancouver's atlas. It stands upon a projecting cape, round which the sh.o.r.e falls back to the northward, forming a sandy bight where there appeared to be shelter from western winds; indeed, as the coast-line was not distinctly seen round the south-west corner of the bight, it is possible there may be some small inlet in that part.

The south end of an island, called Ile Pelee (Bald Island) by D'Entrecasteaux, opened round the cape of Mount Gardner at N. 69 E. The French navigator having pa.s.sed without side of this island, I steered within, through a pa.s.sage of a short mile wide; and had 17 fathoms for the shoalest water, on a sandy bottom. Bald Island is of moderate elevation, and barren, as its name implies; it is about two-and-half miles in length, and the south end lies in 34 55' south and 118 29'

east. It lies off a rocky projection of the mainland, at which terminates a ridge of mountain extending three leagues along the sh.o.r.e from the bight behind Mount Gardner. There are a number of small peaks upon the top of this ridge which induced me to give it the name _Mount Manypeak_.

After clearing the pa.s.sage of Bald Island I found the sh.o.r.e to trend north-eastward, and to be low and sandy; but at the distance of eight leagues inland there was a chain of rugged mountains, of which the eastern and highest peak, called _Mount Rugged_, lies N. 11 W. from the pa.s.sage. At six we came up with a steep rock, one mile from the main, and then hauled to the wind, offsh.o.r.e, for the night. This lump, which appeared to be of granite, I called _Haul-off Rock_; it lies in 31 43'

south and 118 39' east, and two leagues to the south-west of a cliffy point which bears the name of Cape Riche in the French chart.