A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 35

Longitude, 137 27'

Mount Young bore, N. 11 E.

Middle Mount, N. 62 W.

Low western sh.o.r.e, extreme, S. 21 W.

High eastern land, about the middle, N. 71 E.

Having obtained the observations, we steered for the outermost of the northern hummocks, with soundings gradually increasing to 12 fathoms; but shoaling on a sudden to 7, upon coral, we hauled to the wind and tacked instantly; finding, however, that the depth did not further decrease, I let the ship go entirely round, and continued the former north-eastern course, with soundings from 7 to 9 fathoms.

At noon, the furthest hummock seen from the anchorage was distant four or five miles; it stands on a projection of low sandy land, and beyond it was another similar projection to which I gave the name of _Point Lowly_.

This was the furthest visible part of the western sh.o.r.e; but the eastern land there approached within seven or eight miles, and extended northward, past it, in a chain of rugged mountains, at the further end of which was a remarkable peak. Our situation and bearings at this time were as follow:

Lat.i.tude, observed to the north and south, 33 5' 14"

Longitude by time keepers, 137 41 1/3 Middle Mount, S. 75 W.

Mount Young, S. 87 W.

Point Lowly, the extreme, N. 43 E.

High peak on the eastern land, N. 25 E.

Our prospect of a channel or strait, cutting off some considerable portion of Terra Australis, was lost, for it now appeared that the ship was entered into a gulph; but the width of the opening round Point Lowly left us a consolatory hope that it would terminate in a river of some importance. In steering for the point we came into 4 fathoms, but on hauling to the eastward found 8, although a dry sand-bank was seen in that direction. The depth afterwards diminished to 6, on which the course for Point Lowly was resumed; and we pa.s.sed it at the distance of a mile and a half, in 9 fathoms water. Here the gulph was found to take a river-like form, but the eastern half of it was occupied by a dry, sandy spit and shoal water. We continued to steer upwards, before the wind; but as the width contracted rapidly, and there was much shoal water, it was under very easy sail, and with an anchor ready to be let go. At four o'clock, in attempting to steer close over to the western side, we came suddenly into 2 fathoms; the ship was instantly veered to the eastward, and on the water deepening to 7, we let go the anchor and veered out a whole cable; for the wind blew a fresh gale right up the gulph, and between S. 4 W. and 30 E. there was no shelter from the land. At sunset a second anchor was dropped under foot.

We had reached near five leagues above Point Lowly, at the entrance of the narrow part of the gulph; but the sh.o.r.es were low on both sides, and abreast of the ship not so much as four miles asunder. At the back of the eastern sh.o.r.e was the ridge of mountains before mentioned, of which Mr.

Westall made the sketch given in the Atlas (Plate XVII. View 10.); and the highest peak toward their northern extremity, afterwards called _Mount Brown_, bore N. 32 E. On the western side, upwards, there was moderately high, flat-topped land, whose eastern bluff bore N. 36 W., about three leagues, and there the head of the gulph had the appearance of terminating; but as the tide ran one mile an hour past the ship, we still flattered ourselves with the prospect of a longer course, and that it would end in a fresh-water river.

WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH 1802

Early on the following morning, Messrs. Brown, Bauer and Westall, with attendants, set off upon an excursion to the eastern mountains, intending, if possible, to ascend to the top of Mount Brown; and I went away in a cutter, accompanied by the surgeon, to explore the head of the gulph, taking with me Arnold's pocket time-keeper. After crossing the middle shoal, upon which we had 2 fathoms in the ship, the water deepened to 10, but afterwards diminished to 2, on approaching the mangroves of the western side. Keeping then upwards, I had from 7 to 10 fathoms in the mid-channel, but found shoal water extending a mile, and sometimes more, from the sh.o.r.e and no possibility of landing until we came near the broad, flat-topped hill. From the eastern bluff of this hill, Mount Brown bore N. 62 20' E., and _Mount Arden_, a peak nearly at the furthest extreme of the ridge, N. 18 40' E.; and the inlet was seen to run in a serpentine form to the northward, between low banks covered with mangroves. After taking the bearings we returned to the boat and pursued our course upward along the western sh.o.r.e, having from 4 to 7 fathoms past the bluff; but the inlet was there less than two miles wide, and a league further on it was contracted to one mile, half of which, besides, was occupied by mud flats. These banks were frequented by ducks and other water fowl; and some time being occupied in chasing them, our distance above the ship was not so much as five leagues in a straight line, when the setting sun reminded us of looking out for a place of rest. A landing was effected with some difficulty amongst the mangroves on the eastern sh.o.r.e; and from a small eminence of red earth I set the ship's mast heads at S. 14 E., and Mount Brown N. 85 E.

THURSDAY 11 MARCH 1802

Next morning we continued the examination upwards, carrying 4, 3, and 2 fathoms in mid-channel; but at ten o'clock our oars touched the mud on each side, and it was not possible to proceed further. I then landed and took observations in an artificial horizon for the time-keeper, which gave 4' 34" of longitude to the west of the ship, or only two seconds more than was deduced from the bearings. Mount Brown bore S. 72 E., Mount Arden N. 26 E., and my last station on the eminence of red earth S. 6 E. The inlet wholly terminated at one mile and a half to the N. 16 W.

It seemed remarkable, and was very mortifying, to find the water at the head of the gulph as salt nearly as at the ship; nevertheless it was evident that much fresh water was thrown into it in wet seasons, especially from the eastern mountains. The summits of the ridge lie from three to four leagues back from the water-side, but the greater part of that s.p.a.ce seemed to be low, marshy land. To the northward no hill was visible, and to the westward but one small elevation of flat-topped land; all else in those directions was mangroves and salt swamps, and they seemed to be very extensive.

Two miles below the place where the observations for the time-keeper were taken was a small cliff of reddish clay on the western sh.o.r.e; and being near it on our return, when the sun was approaching the meridian, I landed to observe the lat.i.tude. It was 32 27' 56" south, so that the termination of the gulph may be called in 32 24' without making a greater error than half a mile. Mount Brown bore from thence S. 80 E., and its lat.i.tude will therefore be 32 30' south; the longitude deduced from bearings and the time-keepers on board is 138 0' east.

Our return to the ship was a good deal r.e.t.a.r.ded by going after the black swans and ducks amongst the flats. The swans were all able to fly, and would not allow themselves to be approached; but some ducks of two or three different species were shot, and also several sea pies or red bills. Another set of bearings was taken on the western sh.o.r.e, and at ten in the evening we reached the ship, where Mr. Brown and his party had not been long arrived. The ascent of Mount Brown had proved to be very difficult, besides having to walk fifteen miles on a winding course before reaching the foot; by perseverance, however, they gained the top at five on the first evening, but were reduced to pa.s.sing the night without water; nor was any found until they had descended some distance on the following day. The view from the top of Mount Brown was very extensive, its elevation being not less than three thousand feet; but neither rivers nor lakes could be perceived, nor anything of the sea to the south-eastward. In almost every direction the eye traversed over an uninterruptedly flat, woody country; the sole exceptions being the ridge of mountains extending north and south, and the water of the gulph to the south-westward.

Mr. Brown found the stone of this ridge of craggy mountains to be argillaceous, similar to that of the flat-topped land where I had taken bearings on the west side of the inlet. It is reddish, smooth, close-grained, and rather heavy. Bushes and some small trees grown in the hollows of the rising hills; and between their feet and the mangrove swamps near the water there was some tolerably good though shallow soil.

We had seen fires upon the eastern sh.o.r.e opposite to Point Lowly on first entering the head of the gulph, and wherever I had landed there were traces of natives; Mr. Brown found them even to a considerable height up the side of the mountain; and it should therefore seem that the country here is as well inhabited as most parts of Terra Australis, but we had not the good fortune to meet with any of the people.

The observations taken by lieutenant Flinders fixed the position of the ship in _lat.i.tude_ 32 44' 41" south, and _longitude_ by the time keepers 137 49' 56" east. Twelve sets of distances of the sun and moon gave 137 50' 9"; but these being all on one side, the time keepers are preferred.

Azimuths observed from the binnacle, when the ship's head was between S.

by E. and S. S. E., gave 0 42' east, or 1 37' east, nearly, for the true _variation_; and there was no particular attraction upon the theodolite at any of my stations on sh.o.r.e.

We had two flood _tides_ in the day setting past the ship, and they ran at the strongest one mile and a half per hour; the rise appeared to be from six to eight feet, and high water to take place at _two hours and a half after_ the moon pa.s.sed the meridian. Except in the time of high water, which is considerably later than at Th.o.r.n.y Pa.s.sage, the tides at the head have a near affinity to those at the entrance of the gulph; whence the great differences at Port Lincoln, intermediately situate, become so much the more extraordinary.

SAt.u.r.dAY 13 MARCH 1802

Nothing of particular interest having presented itself to detain us at the head of the gulph, we got under way in the morning of the 13th, having a light breeze from the north-westward. The western sh.o.r.e had been followed in going up, and for that reason I proposed to keep close to the east side in returning; but before eight o'clock the water shoaled suddenly from 4 to 2 fathoms, and the ship hung upon a mud bank covered with gra.s.s, two or three miles from the sh.o.r.e. A kedge anchor was carried out astern; and in half an hour we again made sail downward, in soundings from 5 to 10 fathoms near the edge of the shoal.

At noon, lat.i.tude observed to the N. and S. 32 57' 6"

Mount Brown bore N. 9 30 E.

Pt. Lowly south extreme dist. 7 miles, S. 79 0 W.

The depth was then 7 fathoms; but there were banks ahead, extending to a great distance from the eastern sh.o.r.e, and in steering westward to pa.s.s round them, we had 3 fathoms for the least water. It afterwards deepened to 7, and we again steered southward, but were not able to get near the land; on the contrary, the shallow water forced us further off as we proceeded. The wind was at west-southwest in the evening; and this not permitting us to lie along the edge of the bank, we came to an anchor in 7 fathoms, soft bottom; being then above four leagues from the eastern low sh.o.r.e, although there was only 3 fathoms at less than a mile nearer in.

Mount Brown bore N. 21 E.

Barn Hill, S. 43 E.

Mount Young, N. 66 W.

SUNDAY 14 MARCH 1802

In the morning we followed the line of the great eastern shoal, and its direction permitted us to approach nearer to the land, with soundings between 8 and 4 fathoms. A little before noon, after running half an hour in less than 4 fathoms and getting within about six miles of the land, we were obliged to tack and stretch off, the wind having veered to the south-west. Our situation twenty minutes afterward, was in

Lat.i.tude, observed to the north and south, 33 23' 49"

Longitude by time keepers, 137 47 Mount Young bore N. 38 W.

Middle Mount, west side of the gulph, N. 66 W.

Barn Hill, on the east side, S. 60 E.

We beat to windward all the afternoon, and at sunset anch.o.r.ed in 3 fathoms near the edge of the great bank and seven or eight miles from the land. The sh.o.r.e was low and sandy, but there was a ridge of hills behind it nearly similar to that on the west side of the gulph. Barn Hill lies at the back of this ridge and about twelve miles from the water; and towards the southern end of the ridge was another hill, also some distance inland, of which I shall have occasion to speak hereafter. A middle mount on the west side of the gulph, higher and further back than the one before set, was in sight from this anchorage; and the bearings taken were these:

Middle back mount, N. 61 W.

Barn Hill on the east side, S. 74 E.

A more southern hill, S. 38 E.

Mount Br own was no longer visible; but it had been seen this afternoon at the distance of fifty-eight miles, and was sufficiently above the horizon to have been distinguished some miles further from a ship's deck in a perfectly clear day.

MONDAY 15 MARCH 1802

On the morning of the 15th the wind had shifted to south-east; and the great bank then trending south-westward, we followed it with variable soundings between 3 and 10 fathoms. At ten o'clock the water had deepened to 15; and being then nearer to the west than to the east side of the gulph, and the wind having come more ahead, we tacked to the east-south-east; but in fifty minutes were obliged to steer westward again, having fallen into 3 fathoms on the edge of the bank. This is the narrowest part of the gulph below Point Lowly, the two sh.o.r.es being scarcely more than twenty miles asunder; and of this s.p.a.ce, the great eastern bank, if the part where we last had 3 fathoms be connected with it, occupies about eleven, and the shallow water of the west side one or two miles. The soundings we had in stretching westward across the deep channel were, from the shoal, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 12, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 7, 6, 5 fathoms, at nearly equal distances asunder, and the last at six miles from the western land.

After sounding across the channel we stood back, lying up south-east, and reached within five miles of the eastern sh.o.r.e, where the anchor was dropped in 4 fathoms; Barn Hill bearing N. 69 E., and a cliffy projection, named _Point Riley_ after the gentleman of that name in the Admiralty, S. 14 W., two or three leagues. This point was the furthest visible part of the eastern sh.o.r.e; and so low and uniform had the coast been from the head of the gulph, that this was the first mark I had found upon it for the survey. The great eastern bank, which we had already followed about sixty miles, seemed to terminate at Point Riley; and from thence southward the gulph greatly enlarges its breadth. The situation of the point is about 33 53' south and 137 30' E.

TUESDAY 16 MARCH 1802

We got under way at six in the morning, and the wind being from the south-eastward made a good stretch along the coast until noon. A patch of breakers then lay five miles to the south-east; but the land was ten miles distant, and some white sandy cliffs, four or five leagues from Point Riley, bore S. 52 E. The intermediate coast, as also that which extends several leagues to the north of the point, is low and sandy; but at a few miles back it rises to a level land of moderate elevation, and is not ill clothed with small trees. In the afternoon we had to beat against a southern wind; and the coast in that part being too open for anchorage, this was continued all night and the next morning [WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH 1802]; but with so little profit that the same land was still in sight at noon, and our situation found to be as follows

Lat.i.tude, observed to the north and south, 34 15' 24"

Longitude by time keepers, 137 24 North extreme near the sandy cliffs, dist. 6 miles, N. 19 E.

Low red cliffs, south end dist. 6 or 7 miles, S. 54 E.

At six in the evening, the reddish cliffs were brought to bear N. 44 E., and a long point, or an island lying off a point, bore S. 43 W. two leagues. Our distance from a cliffy islet, close under the sh.o.r.e, was two or three miles, but the breakers from it were only half a mile off, and the depth was 4 fathoms.

THURSDAY 18 MARCH 1802

On the 18th, in the morning, we fetched to windward of the island-like point, to which I gave the name of _Point Pearce_, in compliment to Mr.

Pearce of the Admiralty. Its lat.i.tude is 34 28' south and longitude 137 21' east. On the south side of this point or island, for I could not fully ascertain its connection, the sh.o.r.e falls back seven or eight miles to the east, and then trends southward. It is low and very sandy, but rises gradually to a level country of the same description as that near Point Riley. At sunset the land was seen as far as south-west-by-south; and the wind favouring us a little, we made a stretch for it. A fire upon the sh.o.r.e served as a mark to steer by; and on approaching it at ten o'clock, the anchor was let go in 6 fathoms, upon a bottom of coa.r.s.e sand and small stones, the weather being fine, and wind moderate off the land.

The howling of dogs was heard during the night, and at daylight [FRIDAY 19 MARCH 1802] the sh.o.r.e was found to be distant two or three miles, and was woody, rising land, but not of much elevation. A remarkable point, which I named _Corny Point_, bearing S 73 W. three miles, was the furthest land visible to the westward; its lat.i.tude, from meridian observations of Jupiter and the moon, is 34 52' South, and longitude from the time-keepers 137 6' east. Between this point and Point Pearce, twenty-eight miles to the north-north-east, is a large bay, well sheltered from all southern winds, and none others seem to blow with much strength here. The land trends eastward about seven leagues, from Corny Point to the head of the bay; but what the depth of water may be there, or whether any fresh stream fall into it, I am not able to state; the land, however, was better wooded, and had a more fertile appearance than any before seen in the neighbourhood. I called this HARDWICKE BAY, in honour of the n.o.ble earl of that t.i.tle.