A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 31

do., the largest extremes, S. 38 0 to 46 20 W.

Lacy's Isle, centre, S. 51 0 W.

Purdie's Isles, the easternmost, N. 83 15 W.

Lound's Isle, centre, N. 76 30 W.

Point Bell, the hill on it, N. 73 0 W.

Point Peter, across Denial Bay, N. 12 45 W.

[* _Prod. flor. Nov. Holl._ p. 406.]

On returning to the sh.o.r.e to complete my observations, a flock of teal presented themselves, and four were shot. There were also pied s.h.a.gs, and gulls of three species; and in the island were seen many crows, a green paroquet, and two smaller birds. A black snake, of the common size, was killed, but its form did not bespeak it to be venemous. After observing the sun's alt.i.tude at noon, I returned on board with the intention of getting the ship under way, to examine more closely a bight in the coast near Point Bell; and then of returning to Petrel Bay in the Isle St.

Francis, in order to obtain better observations for a base to my chart of this archipelago. At two o'clock, Mr. Brown and his party returned from the eastern island, bringing four kangaroos, of a different species to any before seen. Their size was not superior to that of a hare, and they were miserably thin, and infested with insects. No other than calcareous rock was seen upon the eastern island. It seemed to afford neither wood nor water, nor were there any marks of its having been visited by the natives of the continent; in which respect it resembled the western island, as it also did in its vegetation, and in being frequented by the sooty petrel. Mr. Brown's pocket thermometer stood at 125 when placed on the sand, and 98 in the shade; whilst on board the ship the height was only 83.

The sun was too high at noon for its alt.i.tude to be taken from an artificial horizon with a s.e.xtant; but by laying down upon the beach I obtained it from the sea horizon tolerably free from the refractive errors caused by the haze. The _lat.i.tude_ of the north side of the western Isle of St. Peter, thus observed, was 32 21' south, and the _longitude_ by time-keepers, corrected as usual, 133 29' east. There was no set of _tide_ past the ship; but from eight o'clock to noon the water had risen about a foot by the sh.o.r.e.

The anchor was weighed on the return of the botanists, and we steered westward past the small island named Lound's, and as far as Purdie's Isles. when, having seen the whole line of the coast behind them, we hauled to the southward at six o'clock for Petrel Bay; and at one in the morning [MONDAY 8 FEBRUARY 1802] came to, in 13 fathoms, near our former anchorage.

It was here confirmed by satisfactory observations on sh.o.r.e that our former lat.i.tudes and longitudes taken on board the ship were erroneous; and the consequent necessity of reconstructing my chart of these islands induced me to remain at anchor the rest of the day. A boat was sent to fish with hook and line, and had some success; and at dusk a sufficient number of sooty petrels were taken from the burrows to give nine to every man, making, with those before caught, more than twelve hundred birds.

These were inferior to the teal shot at the western Isle of St. Peter, and by most persons would not be thought eatable on account of their fishy taste, but they made a very acceptable supply to men who had been many months confined to an allowance of salt meat.

The _lat.i.tude_ of our anchorage in Petrel Bay proved to be 32 33 1/3'

south, and corrected _longitude_, by time-keepers, 133 15' east. The _variation_ of the compa.s.s on the binnacle, with the ship's head south-eastwardly, but the exact point not noted, was 2 23' west. Other azimuths, taken five leagues to the north-westward, with the head south-half-west, gave 0 19' east; and six leagues to the eastward, the head being north half-west, we had 0 16' east. All these observations, being corrected, and supposing the ship's head in the first case to have been south-east-half-east, as is probable, would agree in showing that the true and magnetic meridians exactly coincided at the Isles of St.

Francis in 1802.

Being about to quit this archipelago, it may be expected that I should make some general remarks upon it. The basis stone of the islands where we landed, and that of the others, as also of the projecting parts of the main, appeared to be similar, was either porphyry or granite; but this was generally covered with a _stratum_, more or less thick, of calcareous rock. The and sterility of the two largest islands has been already mentioned; and yet they appeared superior to any of the smaller isles, where there was no probability that the small kangaroos could exist in the dry season. The surface of the continent seemed to be almost equally dest.i.tute of vegetable soil to cover the sand and rock; and from the hot winds off the land, which we felt in Streaky and Smoky Bays, it would seem that this aridity prevails to a considerable distance in the interior. There are, however, some grounds to believe that a lake or run of fresh water exists not far from Denial Bay: the flock of teal seen upon the western Isle of St. Peter, and the number of winged, fresh-water insects skimming the surface of that bay, are the grounds to which I allude.

My examination of this group of islands was tolerably minute to be done wholly in a ship; but much still remained, which boats would best accomplish, to make the survey complete, especially in the bays of the main land. No more than a general examination was prescribed by my instructions at this time, and I therefore left the minute parts for a second visit, when the ship would be accompanied by the Lady Nelson tender.

Upon the ident.i.ty of the particular islands composing this group, as compared with the chart of Nuyts' discovery, there may possibly be some difference of opinion, but there can be no doubt that the group generally is the same with that laid down by the Dutch navigator; and I therefore distinguish it from others upon this coast by the t.i.tle of NUYTS'

ARCHIPELAGO. Besides the nine Isles of St. Francis and two of St. Peter, and several distinct rocks and patches of reef, it contains Sinclair's four Rocks, Purdie's Isles, Lound's Isle, Lacy's and Evans' Islands, Franklin's Isles, and Olive's Island; all of which are named after young officers of the Investigator. The state of navigation in 1627 does not permit the expectation of any exact coincidence between the islands laid down by the Dutch and those in my chart; if a few leading features of resemblance be found, this is all that can be fairly required; and these I shall endeavour to trace.

The Cape marked A (see the copy of the Dutch chart from _Thevenot_), the point B, and the western reefs, I conceive to be clearly identified in Cape Nuyts, Point Fowler, and Nuyts' Reefs, although there be a difference of near half a degree in lat.i.tude. The next leading mark is the line of islands marked 1, 2, to 5, extending south-south-east from the furthest extremity of the main land. I found no islands corresponding to the first three of these; but the main coast there trends south-east, and there are cliffy projections upon it which might appear like islands to a ship so far distant as not to raise the intermediate beaches. I conceive then, that the island marked 3, is the projecting point which I have named Point Bell; and that 1 and 2 are the two cliffy projections further northward. The island marked 4 will be the largest of Purdie's Isles; and in looking on, nearly in the same line, we find 5 in Lacy's Island. The island 6, or St. Francis, should lie to the west-south-west, or perhaps south-west, for since the line of the five islands is two points too much to the right, this bearing may be the same. To the south-west-by-south the large Isle St. Francis is found, in the centre of eight smaller isles which Nuyts has not distinguished. The islands 8, 9, and 10, are to be sought to the east-north-east of 5, or Lacy's Island, or rather to the north-east, two points to the left; and there we find, though not very exactly, Evans' Island and the two Isles of St. Peter.

Island 7 should be to the north-west of 8, and in a direction between 4 and 9; and in that position is Lound's small Isle.

This explanation, I am aware, may be disputed, because it leaves Franklin's Isles unnoticed; and it may be objected, that had Lound's Isle been seen, the main land north of it would have been seen also. That Nuyts pa.s.sed to the southward of all the islands laid down in his chart seems improbable, since he distinguished only one of the Isles of St.

Francis; but if this be supposed, then 7 and 8 might be Evans' and Franklin's Isles, and 9 and 10 would be Point Brown and Cape Bauer, which lie to the south-east, instead of north~east; and in this case the islands which I suppose to be St. Peter's, and that of Lound, will not have been seen. The question is, in fact, of no importance, other than what arises from a desire to do justice to the Dutch navigator; and on this head, I trust there can be no accusation. My opinion coincides with the first explanation; and unless an island exist to the south-west of St. Francis, and I am tolerably certain that none lies within five leagues, a correspondence more free from objections cannot easily be pointed out.

CHAPTER VI.

Prosecution of the discovery of the unknown coast.

Anxious Bay.

Anchorage at Waldegrave's and at Flinders' Islands.

The Investigator's Group.

Coffin's Bay.

Whidbey's Isles.

Differences in the magnetic needle.

Cape Wiles.

Anchorage at Thistle's Island.

Th.o.r.n.y Pa.s.sage.

Fatal accident.

Anchorage in Memory Cove.

Cape Catastrophe, and the surrounding country.

Anchorage in Port Lincoln, and refitment of the ship.

Remarks on the country and inhabitants.

Astronomical and nautical observations.

[SOUTH COAST. FROM NUYTS' ARCHIPELAGO.]

TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY 1802

At daybreak in the morning of Feb. 9, when the anchor was weighed from Petrel Bay to prosecute the examination of the unknown coast, we were unexpectedly favoured with a refreshing breeze from the westward; and our course was directed for Cape Bauer. At noon, the lat.i.tude from mean of observations to the north and south, which differed only 1', was 32 43'

17"; but although our distance from the land could not be more than three leagues, no part of it was distinguishable; the haze was very thick, but it was of a different nature, and had none of that extraordinary refractive power which the atmosphere possessed during the prevalence of the eastern winds. At one o'clock, Olive's Island was indistinctly perceived; and at two we came in with Point Westall, and then steered south-south-eastward along the coast at the distance of four or five miles. At six, a bold cliffy head, which I named CAPE RADSTOCK, in honour of Admiral Lord Radstock, bore N. 75 E., six or seven miles; and the land seemed there to take another direction, for nothing beyond it could be perceived. The wind was at west-south-west; and we kept on the starboard tack till eight o'clock, and then stood off for the night.

WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 1802

At five in the morning we steered for the land; and soon afterward Cape Radstock was in sight, bearing N. 57 E., five leagues. The lat.i.tude of this cape is 33 12' south, and longitude 134 15' east. Other cliffy heads came in sight as we advanced eastward; and at seven, the appearance of an opening induced me to steer close in; but it proved to be a bight full of rocks, with low land behind. The line of the projecting parts of the coast is nearly east from Cape Radstock for four leagues; and at the end of them is a cliffy point which received the name of _Point Weyland_.

Round this point an opening was seen of so promising an appearance that I bore away north and north-east for it, although land was in sight as far as east-south-east. Before noon the greater part of the open s.p.a.ce was found to be occupied by low land; and no more of the opening remained than a small inlet through the beach, leading, apparently, into a lagoon, the water of which was distinguished from the mast head. This inlet was fit only to receive boats; and therefore we hauled the wind to the southward, when the sandy sh.o.r.e near it was distant two-and-half miles on one side, and Point Weyland one mile and a half on the other. The lat.i.tude of this point is 33 14' south, and longitude 134 32' east. As the day advanced the wind veered to south-west, and there being a swell from the same quarter, we could do no more than make a south-east-by-south course, parallel with the sh.o.r.e. At three o'clock the mainland was seen to extend out beyond what the ship could fetch; there were besides two islands lying still further out, and a third was perceived in the offing, almost directly to windward. The two first received the name of _Waldegrave's Isles_, and the latter with some rocks near it were called _Top-gallant Isles_. Our distance from the sandy sh.o.r.e was then barely a league; and coming into 7 fathoms water soon afterward, we tacked, hoping to weather Cape Radstock; but finding this to be impossible, were constrained to pa.s.s the night in working to windward in the bay. The weather was squally with rain, but our situation made it necessary to carry all possible sail; and we had the satisfaction, at daylight [THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 1802], to find the ship had gained considerably. It then blew a strong breeze at south-west-by-south, and we stretched in under Waldegrave's Isles; and finding the water become smooth, the anchor was let go in 7 fathoms, on a bottom of calcareous sand, at half a mile from the north-east end of the inner and largest island. We were here sheltered from the present wind, but exposed from west-by-south to north-north-west; the master was therefore immediately sent to sound the opening of one mile wide between the island and the main, by which alone we could hope to escape, should the wind shift to the north-westward and blow strong; but the opening proved to be full of rocks and breakers.

The press of sail carried in the night had so much stretched the rigging that it required to be set up, fore and aft. Whilst this was doing on board, the naturalists landed upon the island; where I also went to take bearings with a theodolite, and observations for the lat.i.tude and longitude. The island is about two miles long, and connected by rocks with the small outer isle; and they extend four or five miles from a projecting part of the main, in a west direction. These islands form the southern boundary, as Cape Radstock does the north point of a great open bay, which, from the night we pa.s.sed in it, obtained the name of ANXIOUS BAY.

I found the island to bear a great resemblance to the western Isle of St.

Peter, in its cliffy sh.o.r.es, granitic basis and _super-stratum_ of calcareous stone; in its vegetable productions, and in its surface being much excavated by the burrows of the sooty petrels. It had also been frequented by geese at some preceding season of the year, and there were marks of its having been a breeding place for them; but at this time the vegetation was too much dried up to afford any subsistence. Crows of a shining black colour were numerous; and in two which I shot the bill was surrounded at the base with small feathers, extending one-fourth of the length towards the extremity. There were no appearances of the island having been before visited either by Europeans or Indians, and a single rat was the sole quadruped seen; but a few hair seals were killed upon the sh.o.r.e. Mr. Brown remarked that this was the first island where not a single novelty in natural history had presented itself to his observation.

[SOUTH COAST. INVESTIGATOR'S GROUP.]

From the highest part of the island I saw two patches of breakers, lying near three miles out from the western island; and beyond the Top-gallant Isles in the offing, there was a piece of land of more considerable extent, which the haze did not allow of being well defined. No part of the main coast was visible from hence, beyond the projection close to Waldegrave's Isles; but on changing my station to the southward, land opened from it at the distance of three or four leagues. The princ.i.p.al bearings taken were as follow:

Point Weyland, distant 7 or 8 leagues, N. 24 10' W.

Top-gallant Isles, centre of the largest, S. 52 20 W.

Southmost rock, like a ship under sail, S. 48 5 W.

Further land, the east side, S.57 40' to 69 10 W.

Southern extreme of the coast, S. 49 40 E.

A squall pa.s.sed over as the sun came to the meridian, and deprived me of an observation for the lat.i.tude; but the centre of Waldegrave's largest Isle was afterwards found to be in 33 35' south, and the longitude by my observations on sh.o.r.e for the time keepers, was 131 44' east.

There were strong squalls during the night, with rain, but the wind being off the land, the ship rode easy with a whole cable. At daylight [FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 1802] the weather was more moderate, and we stretched out for the distant piece of land in the offing. At noon it was seven miles to windward, and seen to be an island of about five miles in length; and being near enough at dusk to observe that it afforded shelter, and that there were no apparent dangers, we continued to beat up, and got to anchor at half-past nine, in 7 fathoms, fine sand; the nearest beach being distant half a mile, and the island extending from S. 85 E. to 67 W.

SAt.u.r.dAY 13 FEBRUARY 1802

In the morning we were surprised to see breaking water about one mile from the ship, and as much from the sh.o.r.e. It was not far from the place where the last tack had been made in the evening, and the master found no more than six feet water close to it; so that we were fortunate in having escaped. The botanical gentlemen landed early; and I followed them to make the usual observations for the survey.

From my first station, at the north-east end of the island, the largest of the Top-gallant Isles bore S. 67 E., four or five miles. It is of little extent, but high and cliffy; and there are three rocks on its south side resembling ships under sail, from which circ.u.mstance this small cl.u.s.ter obtained its present name. To the south-west I distinguished several small islands, of which the northernmost and largest is remarkable from two high and sharp-pointed peaks upon it, lying in lat.i.tude 33 57' and longitude 134 13'. This cl.u.s.ter, as it appeared to be, received the name of _Pearson's Isles_; but it is possible that what seemed at a distance to be divided into several may form two or three larger islands, or even be one connected land. Another island, about one mile long and of moderate height, was discovered bearing S. 72 W., about four leagues. It was surrounded with high breakers, as was a smaller isle near it; and the two were called _Ward's Isles_. These three small cl.u.s.ters, with Waldegrave's Isles, and this larger island, which was named Flinders', after the second lieutenant, form a group distinct from Nuyts' Archipelago; and I gave it the name of the INVESTIGATOR'S GROUP.

The form of Flinders' Island is nearly a square, of which each side is from three to five miles in length. Bights are formed in the four sides; but that to the north seems alone to afford good anchorage. In its composition this island is nearly the same as that of Waldegrave's largest isle; but between the granitic basis and the calcareous top there is a _stratum_ of sand stone, in some places twenty feet thick. The vegetation differed from that of other islands before visited, in that the lower lands were covered with large bushes; and there was very little either of the white, velvety shrub (_atriplex_) or of the tufted, wiry gra.s.s. A small species of kangaroo, not bigger than a cat, was rather numerous. I shot five of them, and some others were killed by the botanists and their attendants, and found to be in tolerably good condition. We were now beginning to want a supply of water, and the northern part of the island was sought over carefully for it; but the nearest approach to success was in finding dried-up swamps in which the growing plants were tinged red, as if the water had been brackish. No other trees than a few small _casuarinas_, at a distance from the anchorage, were seen upon the island; but wood for fuel might with some difficulty be picked out from the larger bushes growing near the sh.o.r.e.

The beaches were frequented by seals of the hair kind. A family of them consisting of a male, four or five females, and as many cubs was lying asleep at every two or three hundred yards. Their security was such that I approached several of these families very closely; and retired without disturbing their domestic tranquillity or being perceived by them.

The _lat.i.tude_ of the north-east sandy cove in Flinders' Island was found to be 33 41' south, and _longitude_ 134 27' east. The _variation_ on board, observed by Mr. Thistle on the binnacle with the ship's head south-by-east, was 0 6' east; which, corrected, gives 0 44' for the variation to be allowed on the bearings taken on sh.o.r.e, or on board the ship with the head at north or south. The tide appeared to be as inconsiderable here as in Nuyts' Archipelago. With the present southern winds the temperature at this island was very agreeable; the thermometer stood between 65 and 68, and the barometer at 30.08 inches, and it was rising.

[SOUTH COAST. FROM INVESTIGATOR'S GROUP.]

SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY 1802