A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 29

Longitude reduced up from eight o'clock, 124 58 Point Culver, distant five leagues, S. 78 W.

Small rock under the cliffs, dist. 5 miles, North.

Furthest extreme of the coast, cliffs, N. 39 E.

Our course along the sh.o.r.e was so favoured by the wind that at seven in the evening we had pa.s.sed another projecting part of the cliffs, named POINT DOVER, distant from Point Culver fifty miles; and the extreme in sight ahead was twenty miles further, and still cliffy. The nearest part was two or three leagues distant; and the wind being still at south, we hauled up to it, and at nine o'clock stood back to the westward.

The elevation of these cliffs appeared to be about five hundred feet, and nothing of the back country was seen above them. In the upper part they are brown, in the lower part nearly white, and the two _strata_, as also the small layers of which each is composed, are nearly horizontal. They were judged to be calcareous, as was the white, grey, and brown sand which the lead brought up when the bottom was not of coral.

A surveyor finds almost no object here whose bearing can be set a second time. Each small projection presents the appearance of a steep cape as it opens out in sailing along; but before the ship arrives abreast of it, it is lost in the general uniformity of the coast, and the lat.i.tude, longitude, and distance of the nearest cliffs are all the doc.u.ments that remain for the construction of a chart. Point Culver and Point Dover are exceptions to the general uniformity; but it requires a ship to be near the land before even these are distinguishable. The latter point was somewhat whiter than the cliffs on each side, which probably arose from the front having lately fallen off into the water.

TUESDAY 19 JANUARY 1802

In the night of the 19th the wind shifted round to the eastward, and continued there for three days; and during this time we beat to windward without making much progress. Several observations were taken here for the variation of the compa.s.s: with the ship's head east-by-north, azimuths gave 7 15' west, and at south, 4 26'; five leagues further eastward they gave 6 13' with the head north-east, and eight leagues further, an amplitude 4 18' at south-by-east. These being corrected would be 4 13', 4 26', 4 2', and 3 42' west; so that the variation had now rea.s.sumed a tolerably regular course of diminution. The mean of the whole is 4 6' west variation in the longitude of 125 51' east.

FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 1802

At the end of three days beating our lat.i.tude in the evening of the 22nd was 32 22', and longitude 126 23', the depth in that situation was 7 fathoms at two miles from the land, and the furthest extremes visible through the haze bore west-half-north and east, the latter being distant four or five miles. The bank which before formed the cliffs had retired to a little distance from the coast, and left a front screed of low, sandy sh.o.r.e. Several smokes arose from behind the bank, and were the first seen after quitting the archipelago.

The barometer had kept up nearly to 30 inches during the east and south-east winds, but it now fell to 29,65; and we stretched off for the night in the expectation of a change of wind, and probably of blowing weather. At ten the sails were taken aback by a breeze from the westward; but at daylight [SAt.u.r.dAY 23 JANUARY 1802] it had veered to south-by-west, and the mercury was rising. We then bore away for the land; and having reached in with the low, sandy point which had borne east in the evening, steered along the coast at three or four miles distance in from 7 to 11 fathoms water. The lat.i.tude at noon from very indifferent observations was 32 22', and longitude 127 2'; the coast, four miles distant to the northward, was low and sandy, but rose quickly to the level bank, upon which there were some shrubs and small trees.

Nothing of the interior country could be seen above the bank; but this might possibly have been owing to the haze, which was so thick that no extremes of the land could be defined. The wind was fresh at south-south-west, and by seven in the evening our longitude was augmented 55'; the land was then distant six or seven miles, trending east-north-eastward; and we hauled to the wind, which had increased in strength though the barometer was fast rising.

Having stood to the south-east till midnight, we then tacked to the westward; and at five next morning [SUNDAY 24 JANUARY 1802] bore away north for the land, the wind being then at south-by-east, and the barometer announcing by its elevation a return of foul winds. At six we steered eastward, along the same kind of sh.o.r.e as seen on the preceding day; but the wind coming more unfavourable, and depth diminishing to 5 fathoms soon after eight o'clock, made it necessary to stretch off to sea. The coast in lat.i.tude 32 1' and longitude 128 12' was three miles distant to the north. A league further on it took a more northern direction, but without much changing its aspect; it continued to be the same sandy beach, with a bank behind it of level land topped with small trees and shrubs as before described.

MONDAY 25 JANUARY 1802

The rest of the day and the whole of the 25th were taken up in beating fruitlessly against an eastern wind. Azimuths observed when the ship's head was east-by-north gave variation 6 4'; and ten miles to the south a little eastward they gave 3 8' west, at south-by-east; corrected 3 2'

and 2 32', and the mean 2 47' for the true variation, showing a decrease since the last of 1 19' for 2 11' of longitude.

At ten in the evening our situation was less advanced than on the morning of the 24th, when we tacked off sh.o.r.e; but the mercury was again descending, and during the night the wind veered to north-east, to north, and at eight in the morning [TUESDAY 26 JANUARY 1802] to west-by-north, when we steered in for the land. At ten the sh.o.r.e was eight or nine miles distant, and our course was north-east, nearly as it trended. The lat.i.tude at noon, from observations to the north and south, was 31 51'

34", and longitude by timekeepers 128 41'; the beach was distant three or four miles in the north-north-west, and the bank behind it lay two or three miles inland and was somewhat higher, but had less wood upon it than further westward. The wind was fresh at south-west, and the mercury was rising; but the haziness of the weather was such that no extremes of the land could be set.

Our course from noon was nearly east at the distance of five or six miles from the sh.o.r.e; and we ran at the rate of between seven and eight knots, under double-reefed top-sails and foresail. Abreast of our situation at half-past two the level bank again closed in upon the sh.o.r.e, and formed cliffs very similar to those along which we had before run thirty leagues. Their elevation appeared to be from four to six hundred feet, the upper part was brown, and the lower two-thirds white; but as we advanced, the upper brown _stratum _was observed to augment in proportional quant.i.ty. We could not distinguish, as before, the smaller layers in the two _strata_; and from the number of excavations in the white part, apparently from pieces having fallen down (see Mr. Westall's sketch, Atlas, Plate XVII. View 6.), I was led to think the lower portion of these cliffs to be grit stone rather than calcareous rock. The bank was not covered with shrubs, as before it came to the water side, but was nearly dest.i.tute of vegetation, and almost as level as the horizon of the sea.

At dusk we hauled up south-east-by-south to the wind, at one in the morning [WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY 1802] tacked to the westward, and at four bore away north for the land. Having reached within six miles of the cliffs, we steered eastward again, with a fair breeze; and at noon were in lat.i.tude 31 40' 52' and longitude 130 59'; the cliffs were then distant seven miles to the northward, and at N. 9 E. was their termination.

The length of these cliffs, from their second commencement, is thirty-three leagues; and that of the level bank, from near Cape Pasley where it was first seen from the sea, is no less than _one hundred and forty-five leagues_. The height of this extraordinary bank is nearly the same throughout, being no where less, by estimation, than four hundred, nor any where more than six hundred feet. In the first twenty leagues the ragged tops of some inland mountains were visible over it; but during the remainder of its long course the bank was the limit of our view.

This equality of elevation for so great an extent, and the evidently calcareous nature of the bank, at least in the upper two hundred feet, would bespeak it to have been the exterior line of a vast coral reef, which is always more elevated than the interior parts, and commonly level with high-water mark. From the gradual subsiding of the sea, or perhaps by a sudden convulsion of nature, this bank may have attained its present height above the surface; and however extraordinary such a change may appear, yet, when it is recollected that branches of coral still exist upon Bald Head, at the elevation of four hundred or more feet, this supposition a.s.sumes a great degree of probability; and it would further seem that the subsiding of the waters has not been at a period very remote, since these frail branches have yet neither been all beaten down nor mouldered away by the wind and weather.

If this supposition be well founded, it may, with the fact of no hill or other object having been perceived above the bank in the greater part of its course, a.s.sist in forming some conjecture of what may be within it; which cannot, as I judge in such case, be other than flat, sandy plains, or water. The bank may even be a narrow barrier between an interior and the exterior sea, and much do I regret the not having formed an idea of this probability at the time; for notwithstanding the great difficulty and risk, I should certainly have attempted a landing upon some part of the coast to ascertain a fact of so much importance.

At the termination of the bank and of the second range of cliffs the coast became sandy, and trended north-eastward about three leagues; after which it turned south-east-by-east, and formed the head of the _Great Australian Bight_, whose lat.i.tude I make to be 31 29' south, and longitude 131 10' east. In the chart of admiral D'Entrecasteaux the head of the Great Bight is placed in 31 36' and 131 27'; but I think there is an error at least in the lat.i.tude, for the admiral says, "At daybreak I steered to get in with the land; and the wind having returned to south-east, we hauled our starbord tacks on board, being then four or five leagues from the coast. At _eleven o'clock_ the land was seen ahead and we veered ship in 32 fathoms, fine sand."* The lat.i.tude observed at noon, as appears by the route table, was 31 38' 58"; and if we suppose the ship, lying up south-south-west, to have made 2' of southing in the hour, as marked in the chart, she must have been in 31 37' at eleven o'clock; which is within one mile of the lat.i.tude a.s.signed to the head of the bight, where the sh.o.r.e curves to the south-east-by-east. This does not accord with the land being only then seen ahead, since the weather appears to have admitted the sight of it at the distance of four or five leagues. If we suppose the admiral, when he veered, to have been eight, instead of one mile from the head of the Great Bight, and the account strongly favours the supposition, it will then agree with my lat.i.tude.

I had only 27 fathoms in crossing the head, and although it is possible there may be 30 closer in, yet in such a place as this the probability is, that the ship having the greatest depth of water was the furthest from the land.

[* _Voyage de D'Entrecasteaux_, par M. de Rossel, Tome I. page 220. The 32 fathoms are, I believe, of five French feet each, making very nearly 30 fathoms English measure.]

After steering east-north-east, east, and east-south-east, and having seen the beach all round the head of the Great Bight, we hauled up parallel to the new direction of the coast, at the distance of six miles; and at five o'clock were abreast of the furthest part seen by the French admiral when he quitted the examination. The coast is a sandy beach in front; but the land rises gradually from thence, and at three or four miles back is of moderate elevation, but still sandy and barren.

According to the chart of Nuyts, an extensive reef lay a little beyond this part. (Atlas, Plate IV.) It was not seen by D'Entrecasteaux, but we were anxiously looking out for it when, at six o'clock, breakers were seen from the mast head bearing S. 43 E. some distance open from the land. We kept on our course for them, with the wind at south-south-west, until eight o'clock, and then tacked to the westward in 27 fathoms; and the ship's way being stopped by a head swell, we did not veer towards the land until three in the morning, at which time it fell calm.

THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 1802

On a light breeze springing up from the northward we steered in for the coast; and at noon were in the following situation:

Lat.i.tude, observed to the north, 32 2'

Longitude reduced up from eight o'clock, 131 51 Breakers, distant two or three miles, N. 22 to 42 E.

A sandy projection of the coast, south part, N. 37 E.

Extremes of the land from the deck, N. 15 W. to 89 E.

The breakers lie five or six miles from the land, and did not appear to have any connection with it, nor with two other sets of small reefs which came in sight to the east and east-south-east, soon afterward. At two o'clock our situation was betwixt these last reefs. The southernmost patches are two or three miles in length, and there are large rocks upon them, standing above water; the northern patches extend eight miles along the coast, from which they are distant three miles, and on the eastern parts there are also some rocks above water, but there were none upon the western reef first seen. It may be doubted whether the western reef were known to Nuyts, but there can be no doubt concerning these last; and I call the whole NUYTS' REEFS.

The aspect of the sh.o.r.e to the northward was nearly the same as that seen the preceding afternoon, but behind the second reefs it began to a.s.sume a more rocky appearance. A high cliffy cape is formed a little further eastward; it has a pyramidal rock near it, and the coast there takes a direction somewhat on the north side of east. This remarkable projection, being within a few leagues of the furthest part of the main coast discovered by the Dutch, I have called CAPE NUYTS: its lat.i.tude is 32 2'

south, and longitude 132 18' east.

After clearing Nuyts' Reefs we steered east-north-east, past the cape, to look for anchorage in two bights, but there were rocks in both, and they were open to the southward. Beyond them was a low, cliffy point, lying E.

3 N. seven or eight miles from Cape Nuyts; and seeing a bay behind it which promised shelter from south-west and south winds, we hauled round the point at half-past five. The water shoaled gradually from 11 to 3 fathoms, on which I hove the sails aback and sent the master ahead to sound; and as he did not make the signal for deeper water, as we were already in tolerable shelter, the anchor was dropped in 3 fathoms, sandy bottom. We had then the following bearings:

Low cliffy point, distant 2 or 3 miles S. 35 E.

Head of the bay, distant 1 miles, S. 58 W.

Cliffs, appearing like an island, dist. 4 leagues, N. 77 E.

Furthest land visible from the masthead E. S. E.

Between the first and the last of these bearings we were exposed to the sea, but sheltered at all other points of the compa.s.s.

Being arrived at the extremity of that part of the south coast of Terra Australis which had been previously explored, it may be useful, before entering on the unknown part, to compare my examination of it with what was contained in former charts. It will thence appear that the employment of fifteen days in running along the coast, more than would probably have been required had I kept at a distance, was not without some advantage to geography and navigation.

(Atlas, Plate II.)

At Cape Leeuwin, the largest _Ile St. Alouarn_ of D'Entrecasteaux was seen to be joined to the main, and to form the south-western extremity of Leeuwin's Land, and of Terra Australis. The coast from thence to King George's Sound was more accurately investigated than the French admiral had an opportunity of doing and his omission of soundings supplied.

Captain Vancouver's chart is superior to that of the French from Cape Chatham to the Sound; but that officer's distance from some parts prevented him from seeing them correctly. In the Sound, no particular advantage will be derived from the new survey, the plan given by Vancouver being sufficiently correct for nautical purposes, with the exception of the bar to Oyster Harbour, over which he had marked seventeen feet, but where thirteen now appeared to be the greatest depth.

From King George's Sound to Point Hood the coast had been very indistinctly, and sometimes not at all seen by Vancouver; but I found it, speaking generally, to be laid down by D'Entrecasteaux with accuracy, though the bights in the land are marked somewhat too deep, from his distance not allowing the low beaches to be always distinguished. These trifling inaccuracies were remedied, the pa.s.sages between Bald and Doubtful Islands and the main land opposite to them ascertained to be safe, and the omission of soundings along the coast remedied.

In Doubtful Island Bay the French chart does not give the north-western part sufficiently deep; but the coast from thence to the Archipelago of the Recherche, as also the reefs and rocks, were well distinguished, better perhaps than by me; but the usual want of soundings, with the exception of some distant ones by Vancouver, still continued.

D'Entrecasteaux's chart appeared to be excellent in the western part of the archipelago, and good in the positions of the islands on the outskirts; so that I have, in some cases, borrowed from it. With respect to the inner islands and the main coast, it was necessarily defective, from the French ships having sailed round the archipelago, and not through the middle of it as I did in the Investigator. Here, my survey, though far from complete in the details, will afford much new information and useful also, since it has brought to light a well-sheltered cove affording wood and water, and two other tolerable anchorages at which some refreshments may be procured, and at one, quant.i.ties of salt in the summer season.

(Atlas, Plate III.)

From the archipelago eastward the examination of the coast was prosecuted by D'Entrecasteaux with much care, and with some trifling exceptions very closely; but as far as the 127th degree of longitude from Greenwich no soundings were given. These have been supplied, and a more minute description given of the coast. At the 129th degree the French ships seem to have been closer in with the land than was the Investigator; and it would appear by the track that they were also closer at the 30th, and at the head of the Great Bight, but these last are not corroborated by the soundings. From thence to the bay in which we anch.o.r.ed on the 28th, the Dutch chart of 1627 was the sole authority; and making allowances for the state of navigation at that time, it is as correct in form as could reasonably have been expected.

The lat.i.tudes and longitudes of the points and islands along the coast have been either verified or corrected, for there are commonly some differences between any longitudes and those of Vancouver and D'Entrecasteaux. The observations by which certain places, taken as fixed points, are settled in longitude, are mentioned at those places, as also are the corrections applied to the time-keepers for laying down the intermediate parts; and both are more particularly specified in the Appendix to this volume.

Monsieur _Beautemps Beaupre_, geographical engineer on board La Recherche, was the constructor of the French charts; and they must be allowed to do him great credit. Perhaps no chart of a coast so little known as this was will bear a comparison with its original better than those of M. Beaupre. That the Plates II and III in the accompanying Atlas, are offered as being more full and somewhat more correct, does neither arise from a wish to depreciate those of my predecessor in the investigation, nor from an a.s.sumption of superior merit; there is, indeed, very little due to any superiority they may be found to possess; but there would be room for reproach if, after having followed with an outline of his chart in my hand, improvements should not have been made in all or some of those parts where circ.u.mstances had not before admitted a close examination.

CHAPTER V.

Fowler's Bay.

Departure from thence.

Arrival at the Isles of St. Francis.

Correspondence between the winds and the marine barometer.

Examination of the other parts of Nuyts' Archipelago, and of the main coast.

The Isles of St Peter.