A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 32

In the morning of the 14th, the wind was at south-south-east. We weighed the anchor at daylight, and beat to windward the whole day; but without gaining any thing to the southward. A little before midnight, the wind having veered more to the east, we pa.s.sed the Top-gallant Isles, and at noon next day [MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY 1802] were in the following situation:

Lat.i.tude observed, 33 59'

Longitude from bearings, 134 38 Top-gallant Isles, centre of the largest, N. 12 W.

Pearson's Isles, the two northern peaks, N. 83 W.

No part of the main land was visible; but the wind having veered back to the southward, in the nature of a sea breeze., we were then standing eastward; and in two hours several smokes were seen, and soon afterward the land. At six o'clock, a very projecting point of calcareous cliffs, distant five miles, was the southernmost visible extreme. It was named _Point Drummond_, in compliment to captain Adam Drummond of the navy; and lies in 34 10' south and 135 13' east.

The coast from Waldegrave's Isles to Point Drummond runs waving in a south-eastern direction, and forms bights and broad, cliffy heads. It appeared to be of moderate elevation, and barren; but the further parts of it could not be well distinguished on account of the haze.

We tacked from the sh.o.r.e at six o'clock, when the following bearings were taken;

Point Drummond, S. 14 E.

A broad cliffy projection, the north end, N. 11 W.

---- south end, distant 4 or 5 miles, N. 26 E.

A rocky islet, distant three leagues, N. 41 W.

This islet lies four miles from the main land, and nothing was seen to prevent a ship pa.s.sing between them.

Soon after we had tacked, the wind veered gradually round from the south to east; and having steered southward under easy sail till midnight, we then hove to. A heavy dew fell, which had not before been observed upon this part of the coast.

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1802

At daylight, Point Drummond was seven miles distant to the north-by-east.

The sh.o.r.e, after falling back four or five miles from it, trended northward; but there was other land further out, and we steered for the opening between them, pa.s.sing a rocky islet five miles from Point Drummond and nearly as much from the eastern sh.o.r.e. At eight o'clock we found ourselves in a bay whose width, from the outer western point of entrance, named _Point Sir Isaac_, to the sh.o.r.e on the east side, was near three leagues. It extended also far into the south-south-east but the depth diminished, in less than half an hour, to 4 fathoms, although the head of the bay was still six or seven miles distant. We were then two miles from the eastern sh.o.r.e, with Point Sir Isaac bearing N. 67 W.; and hoping to find deeper water in that direction, hauled to the westward; but coming into 3 fathoms, were obliged to tack, and the wind veering round from the sea, we worked to windward in the entrance of the bay.

The situation of Point Sir Isaac is 34 27' south, and from observations of the moon with stars on each side, in 135 13' east; but by the time-keepers corrected, which I prefer, the longitude is 135 10' east.

The basis of the point seemed to be granitic, with an upper _stratum_ of calcareous rock, much similar to the neighbouring isles of the Investigator's Group. Its elevation is inconsiderable, and the surface is sandy and barren, as is all the land near it on the same side. The large piece of water which it shelters from western winds I named COFFIN'S BAY, in compliment to the present vice-admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, Bart.; who, when resident commissioner at Sheerness, had taken so zealous a part in the outfit of the Investigator. Coffin's Bay extends four or five leagues to the south-eastward from Point Sir Isaac; but I do not think that any stream more considerable than perhaps a small rill from the back land falls into it, since sandy cliffs and beach were seen nearly all round.

On the east side of the entrance the sh.o.r.e rises quickly from the beach to hills of considerable height, well covered with wood. The highest of these hills I call _Mount Greenly_; its elevation is between six and eight hundred feet, and it stands very near the water-side.

Many smokes were seen round Coffin's Bay, and also two parties of natives, one on each side; these sh.o.r.es were therefore better inhabited than the more western parts of the South Coast; indeed it has usually been found in this country that the borders of shallow bays and lagoons, and at the entrances of rivers, are by far the most numerously peopled.

These natives were black and naked, differing in nothing that we could perceive from those of King George's Sound before described.

In the evening the wind veered to the southward; and at sunset we pa.s.sed Point Sir Isaac at the distance of half a mile. Our course was then directed to the south-west, towards two high pieces of land which appeared in the offing, and obtained the name of _Greenly's Isles_. The ship was hove to at midnight; but on seeing the islands to leeward at two in the morning [WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 1802], we filled; and at three, tacked towards the main land. At daylight a rocky point which lies ten or eleven miles to the south-south-west of Point Sir Isaac, and is called _Point Whidbey_, was distant two miles; and the peak upon the southernmost of Greenly's Isles bore S. 66 W., four or five leagues. At S. 18 E., seven or eight miles from Point Whidbey, lies an island one mile in length, the middlemost and largest of seven, which I named WHIDBEY'S ISLES, after my worthy friend the former master-attendant at Sheerness. The basis of these isles appeared to be granitic, but the more elevated are covered with a thick crust of calcareous rock; and in the middlemost this upper _stratum_ is perforated, admitting the light through the island.

The two easternmost of Whidbey's Isles are close to a low projection of the main land which was named _Point Avoid_. It lies eleven or twelve miles to the east-south-east of Point Whidbey; and the sh.o.r.e between them forms so deep a bight that the peninsula between it and Coffin's Bay seems to be there not more than two or three miles broad. At the head of this bight is a low, rocky island, and there are rocks and breakers on each side of the entrance; on which account, and from its being exposed to the dangerous southern winds, I named it AVOID BAY.

Having a wind at south-east-by-south, we beat up all the morning off the entrance of this bay, taking bearings of the different islands and points, and of Mount Greenly which was visible over the peninsula, to fix their relative positions. At noon, our

Lat.i.tude, observed to the N. and S., was 34 43' 32"

Longitude by time keepers, 135 3 35 Greenly's Isles, the peak, bore N. 74 W.

Whidbey's Isles, three westernmost, S. 36 60 W.

---- middlemost, north end dist. 2 miles, N. 81 E.

---- two near Point Avoid, N. 81 E.

Mount Greenly, over the peninsula, Not distinct.

Point Whidbey, distant 7 miles, N. 2 E.

At dusk in the evening, having weathered Whidbey's Isles, we tacked near Point Avoid and stretched off to sea; but on coming in with the land at daylight of the 18th [THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY 1802], it appeared that nothing was gained, our situation being then in the same bight to the eastward of the point.

The sh.o.r.e of the bight is sandy and low, and trends from Point Avoid about five miles to the east; after which it takes a more southern direction and becomes higher, and the projecting parts of the waving coast line are cliffy. Behind the sh.o.r.e the land rises to a moderate height, is dest.i.tute of vegetation, and of a yellow colour, but whether from the surface being of bare rock, or of sand, could not be distinguished.

In stretching off again, with the wind at east-south-east, we pa.s.sed near to a small circular reef, lying nine miles from Point Avoid and six from the nearest sh.o.r.e. Azimuths taken at this time with three compa.s.ses on the binnacle, and the ship's head at south (magnetic), gave the mean variation 1 12' east; but with the surveying compa.s.s alone it was 1 39'

east, which is what I allowed in the survey. On the preceding day the two guns upon the quarter-deck, nearest to the binnacle, had been struck down into the after-hold, from a persuasion that the differences so often found in the variations and bearings when on different tacks must arise from some iron placed too near the compa.s.ses. Strict search had been repeatedly made for sail needles, marline-spikes, or other implements of iron which might have been left in or about the binnacle, but I could fix on nothing unless it were the guns; for it is to be observed that, notwithstanding the constancy of the differences, the idea of any regularly acting cause to derange the needle had not yet fixed itself in my mind. The perfection to which naval science had arrived did not allow me to suppose, that if a constant and unavoidable attraction existed in ships, it would not have been found out, and its laws ascertained; yet no longer than three days before, differences had been observed sufficient, one would think, to have convinced any man that they were produced by some regular cause. Off Point Drummond, about fifteen leagues to the north of where the variation 1 39' east was observed with the ship's head at south, both azimuths and an amplitude had been taken with the same compa.s.s. The first gave 1 33' _west_, the head being south-east-by-east; and after we had tacked, and the head was south-west-by-west, the amplitude gave 3 56' _east_! I did not yet see that as the ship's head was as much on the east side of the magnetic meridian in one case as it was to the west in the other, so was the variation as much too far west then as it was too far east afterward.

Differences like this, of 5, which had frequently occurred, seemed to make accuracy in my survey unattainable from not knowing what variation to allow on the several bearings. The guns were removed in the hope to do away the differences, but they still continued to exist, nearly in the same proportion as before; and almost in despair, I at length set about a close examination of all the circ.u.mstances connected with them, in order to ascertain the cause, and if possible to apply a remedy; but it was long, and not without an acc.u.mulation of facts, before I could arrive at the conclusions deduced and explained in the Appendix No. II to the second volume.

We tacked towards the land soon after noon; and being within five miles of it at three o'clock, stood off again. The furthest extreme of the main land was a sloping low point, distant about three leagues; but two or three miles beyond it, to the south, was a small island to which I gave the name of _Liguanea_. Some of Whidbey's Isles were still to be distinguished, and the bearings taken just before tacking were as under:

Inner island near Point Avoid, N. 31 W.

Nearest part of the cliffs, E. N. E.

The sloping low point, S. 71 E.

Liguanea Island, highest part, S. 57 E.

At seven in the evening, we came in with the land a little further to windward, and tacked at a mile and a half from a patch of breakers which lie N. 72 W. three or four miles from the sloping low point. This point was still the furthest part of the main land visible, the coast seeming from thence to take a more eastern direction.

FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY 1802

In the afternoon of the 19th when the wind had returned to the south, we pa.s.sed to windward of Liguanea Island, and saw it surrounded with many breakers on its south and west sides. The sloping low point was also visible; and three miles further eastward there was a steep head, with two high rocks and one lower near it, of which Mr. Westall made a sketch.

(Atlas Plate XVII. View 7.) This projection I named CAPE WILES, after a worthy friend at Liguanea, in Jamaica; it lies in lat.i.tude 34 57' south, and longitude 135 38' east. Before dark we got sight of a hill situate upon a projecting cape, thirteen miles to the east-south-east of Cape Wiles, and observed the intermediate coast to form a large bight or bay, which I proposed to examine in the morning; and for that purpose we stood off and on during the night, with the wind from the southward.

SAt.u.r.dAY 20 FEBRUARY 1802

At daylight of the 20th the hill on the east side of the bight bore N.

68 E. five or six miles, and an island, named _Isle Williams_, was seen to lie two miles from it to the south-east. We steered north-west soon afterward, up the bight; but in an hour were able to see the land all round, and that this place, which, I called SLEAFORD BAY, was dangerous with the wind at south-east, as it was then blowing. We therefore braced up, to work out; and at noon, our situation, with that of the surrounding lands, was as follows:

Lat.i.tude, observed to the north and south, 35 2' 33"

Longitude by time keepers, 135 44 Liguana Isle, the centre nearly, N. 67 W.

Cape Wiles, centre of the cliffs, N. 38 W.

Hill on the east side of Sleaford Bay, N. 77 E.

Isle Williams, E. 2 N.

In the afternoon the wind favoured us by veering to south-by-west, and the pa.s.sage between the projection of the hill and Isle Williams, (Atlas Plate XVII. View 8.) seeming to be clear, we steered through it with good soundings, the least being 12 fathoms, upon rippling water. Three miles further the main land formed a point, and took the uncommon direction of N. 15 W.; but to the eastward, there was a large piece of land, whether island or main we could not tell, and several small islands lay between.

The opening was four miles wide; and we steered into it, pa.s.sing through ripplings of tide with irregular soundings. No land could be seen to the north-east, but the night was coming on; and as the eastern land sheltered us from the present wind, we ran within half a mile of the sh.o.r.e and anch.o.r.ed in 3 fathoms. The master was sent to sound about the ship; and finding we had not a sufficient depth for swinging toward the sh.o.r.e, the anchor was tripped and let go further out, in 7 fathoms, on a sandy bottom. No part of the eastern land was visible beyond the bearing of N. 76 E., distant one mile and a half; and the furthest extreme of what we could be certain was main land bore N. 17 W.

A tide from the north-eastward, apparently the ebb, ran more than one mile an hour; which was the more remarkable from no set of tide, worthy to be noticed, having hitherto been observed upon this coast. No land could be seen in the direction from whence it came; and these circ.u.mstances, with the trending of the coast to the north, did not fail to excite many conjectures. Large rivers, deep inlets, inland seas, and pa.s.sages into the Gulph of Carpentaria, were terms frequently used in our conversations of this evening; and the prospect of making an interesting discovery seemed to have infused new life and vigour into every man in the ship.

SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY 1802

Early in the morning I went on sh.o.r.e to the eastern land, anxious to ascertain its connexion with or separation from the main. There were seals upon the beach, and further on, numberless traces of the kangaroo.

Signs of extinguished fire existed everywhere; but they bespoke a conflagration of the woods, of remote date, rather than the habitual presence of men, and might have arisen from lightning, or from the friction of two trees in a strong wind. Upon the whole I satisfied myself of the insularity of this land; and gave to it, shortly after, the name of THISTLE'S ISLAND, from the master who accompanied me. In our way up the hills, to take a commanding station for the survey, a speckled, yellow snake lay asleep before us. By pressing the b.u.t.t-end of a musket upon his neck I kept him down whilst Mr. Thistle, with a sail needle and twine, sewed up his mouth; and he was taken on board alive for the naturalist to examine; but two others of the same species had already been killed, and one of them was seven feet nine inches in length. We were proceeding onward with our prize when a white eagle, with fierce aspect and outspread wing, was seen bounding towards us; but stopping short at twenty yards off, he flew up into a tree. Another bird of the same kind discovered himself by making a motion to pounce down upon us as we pa.s.sed underneath; and it seemed evident that they took us for kangaroos, having probably never seen an upright animal in the island of any other species. These birds sit watching in the trees, and should a kangaroo come out to feed in the day-time, it is seized and torn to pieces by these voracious creatures. This accounted for why so few kangaroos were seen, when traces of them were met with at every step; and for their keeping so much under thick bushes that it was impossible to shoot them. Their size was superior to any of those found upon the more western islands, but much inferior to the forest kangaroo of the continent.

From a clear spot upon the north-western head of the island I traced the main coast to a cape bearing N. 18 W., where it was lost, but reappeared at a further distance, and extended to N. 2 W. More to the right were three small islands, which I named _Sibsey_, _Stickney_, and _Spilsby Islands_, but no other land in a north-east, and none in an eastern direction. On the opposite side, six leagues out at sea, there was a small cl.u.s.ter of low islands, and some rocks and breakers at a less distance; these were called _Neptune's Isles_, for they seemed to be inaccessible to men. In the opening between Thistle's Island and the main are several small isles; and the two southernmost so much contract the entrance of the pa.s.sage that one mile and a half of its breadth, between the main land and western isle, are alone safe for ships; I gave to this the name of Th.o.r.n.y Pa.s.sAGE. The bearings taken at this station, of most importance to the survey, were these:

Hill on the east side of Sleaford Bay, S. 70 50' W.

Point where the coast turns northward, S. 73 30 W.

Hill of a conic form, on the main land, N. 35 50 W.

Sibsey I., centre, over a nearer low rock, N. 12 0 E.

Stickney Island, centre, N. 26 0 E.

Spilsby Island, centre, N. 33 0 E.

Thistle's I., west side, furthest visible part, S. 35 30 E.

Neptune's Isles, the furthest, centre, S. 5 30 E.