Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume I Part 5

March 5.

The next morning we steered to the eastward, along the land, and soon after noon pa.s.sed round Captain Baudin's Bezout Island; a projecting point within it was named in compliment to my friend Aylmer Bourke Lambert, Esquire; behind which a range of hills extends to the South-South-East for five or six leagues, and then trends to the eastward, toward a group of islands named by the French Forestier's Archipelago, the princ.i.p.al of which is Depuch Island. Near this we anch.o.r.ed in five fathoms sandy ground. Our course from Cape Lambert was parallel with the beach, and although we were not more than from three to five miles from it, yet it was so low that it could not be seen from the deck; and even from the masthead it was but very indistinctly traced; nor indeed is it quite certain that what we did see was really the sh.o.r.e of the mainland.

March 6.

The vessel rode out the night rather uneasily on account of the wind blowing a fresh breeze from the South-East, which freshened up when the sun rose with such strength from the same direction that we were prevented from landing upon Depuch Island. We pa.s.sed the group at one mile off; it consists of six islands, all of which, with the exception of Depuch Island, are small and of a low sandy character. Hence the coast trended to the North-East by East, but it was soon lost to view, for the wind would not permit our making better than a North-East course. Before noon we pa.s.sed within a quarter of a mile of a part of the Geographe's Bank, which was nearly dry; it lies twenty-two miles North-East from Depuch Island.

Upon comparing my chart with Captain Dampier's description of the Rosemary Islands, there appears to be little doubt but that M. De Freycinet is justified in his conjectures, that the islands, called by them Romarin and Malus, are those seen by that navigator. My conclusion results from his description of the place he landed at, for he says:

"We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is the bluff point: we rode a league from the land, and I presently went on sh.o.r.e, and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none. There grew here two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and, therefore, I call this Rosemary Island. It grew here in great plenty, but had no smell...In the sea, we saw some green turtle, a pretty many sharks, and abundance of water-snakes, of several sorts and sizes. The stones were all of a rusty colour and ponderous."*

(*Footnote. Dampier Octavo 1729 volume 3 page 90.)

The rosemary plants were found by us on Enderby Island, and bore a strong resemblance to the figure of one given by Dampier, which he thus describes: Conyza Novae Hollandiae angustis rorismarini foliis: this plant, found at Enderby Island, may naturally be supposed to grow upon the other islands, since they are all similar in character. Enderby Island he certainly did not visit, but I take Malus Island to be that on which he landed, and the bluff, which he describes as the east end of the island, is no other than our Courtenay Head, for it is the only land of that character hereabouts, and is visible from the deck of a large ship, at the distance of seven leagues. In the bearing that Dampier saw it, namely, South-East, our Rosemary Island would appear to be joined to Malus Island, and hence his opinion that it was "an island five or six leagues in length, and one in breadth."

In one of his draughts (Number 9), he gives a view of the head, bearing East-South-East, six leagues; and this bearing and distance, applied to our Courtenay Head, will cross the lat.i.tude of 20 degrees 21 minutes, which is that noted in the draught; and in the next draught (Number 10), when the head bears South-East by South, two black rocks are inserted, bearing South-East by East, and a point of land East: the black rocks readily answer to the two flat rocks of my chart, and the land about Gidley Island will bear East. No light can be thrown upon the subject from his drawings of the headlands, since they are too minute to be compared with nature.

That the Montebello Islands are not the Rosemary Islands is evident, from their being low, having no bluff head, and from their not being visible so far as Dampier saw those he described. No other land can answer as to lat.i.tude but Rosemary, Malus, Legendre, or Gidley Islands; but, on the two latter, there is no decided bluff, and when bearing South-East by South, no land could be seen bearing East. The rocks of Malus Island, on which we landed, are "of a rusty colour, and ponderous,"* and the bluff, as I have before remarked, very conspicuously forms the east end of the island.

(*Footnote. Vide Appendix C.)

Dampier remarks that Rosemary Island is two hundred and thirty-two miles east of the meridian of Shark's Bay; this, applied to the longitude of that place, will make it in 117 degrees 12 minutes, which is only 35 minutes east of my Courtenay Head.

This group was named by the French Dampier's Archipelago, and as there is ample proof of its being the place which that navigator visited, the name has been admitted by us; but we have also extended it to the islands forming the east side of Mermaid's strait, which are laid down by the French as a part of the mainland.

CHAPTER 2.

Examination of Rowley's Shoals, and Pa.s.sage to the North Coast.

Survey of Goulburn Islands, Mountnorris and Raffles Bays.

Meet a Malay Fleet, and communicate with one of the Proas.

Explore Port Essington.

Attacked by Natives in Knocker's Bay.

Anchor in Popham Bay.

Visit from the Malays.

Examination of Van Diemen's Gulf, including Sir George Hope's Islands and Alligator Rivers.

Survey of the Northern Sh.o.r.e of Melville Island, and Apsley Strait.

Interview with the Natives of Luxmore Head.

Procure wood at Port Hurd.

Natives.

Clarence Strait.

Leave the Coast, and arrival at Timor.

1818. March 6.

The south-east wind, which set in on the morning that we left our anchorage off Depuch Island, continued to blow with thick misty weather, and made us conjecture that the westerly monsoon was nearly expended; we, therefore, steered off the coast with the intention of proceeding to the eastward towards Cape Arnhem, after ascertaining the position of a shoal that was seen by Captain Rowley, in H.M.S. Imperieuse, in 1800, and of two others that are described by Captain Horsburgh to be in its vicinity.

They are situated according to the above authorities as follows, namely:

Imperieuse Shoal (south end): lat.i.tude 17 degrees 35 minutes, longitude 118 degrees 37 minutes.

Shoal seen by the ship Good Hope (north end): lat.i.tude 17 degrees 47 1/2 minutes, longitude 119 degrees 18 minutes.

Shoal seen by Captain Clerke (north part): lat.i.tude 17 degrees 28 minutes, longitude 119 degrees 2 minutes.

The last is described by its discoverer, to be 230 miles North 49 1/2 degrees East (Magnetic) from the north part of Rosemary Island, which would a.s.sign to that island a situation in 20 degrees 6 minutes lat.i.tude, and 116 degrees 6 minutes longitude; but on this parallel there is no land to the westward of 118 degrees 40 minutes. The shoal, according to Captain Horsburgh's account, is 264 miles North, 49 degrees East (true) from Trimouille Island, the north-easternmost of the Montebello Group, which must be the one taken by Captain Clerke for Rosemary Island.

March 6 to 12.

After leaving the land, the weather was very dull and damp for six days, during which the wind being light and baffling prevented any progress.

Fortunately we were free from sickness, otherwise the heavy rains that fell would have caused a considerable inconvenience to the crew, by confining them to the same small cabin with the sick. Happily, however, I heard of no complaints.

March 13.

And on the 13th at noon, the weather began to clear up with a freshening breeze from the South-East, and soon veered to a steady wind from South-South-West.

March 14.

We then steered East to make the shoal, and at sunset the next evening it was seen about three miles off, when we sounded with 170 fathoms of line without getting bottom.

March 15.

During the night we stood off to the westward, and early in the morning made the shoal again: at noon, it was close to us, at which time our lat.i.tude was by observation 17 degrees 33 minutes 12 seconds, from which I deduce the situation of the north end of the shoal to be in:

Lat.i.tude 17 degrees 31 minutes 24 seconds: Longitude 118 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds:

the longitude being ascertained by chronometers from Depuch Island, corrected afterwards for our arrival at the north coast.

On rounding the north end of the shoal, soundings were ineffectually tried for, with 120 fathoms: soon afterwards, we bore up on an eastern course, and in the evening saw another extensive shoal; within two miles of the south end of which we sounded with 170 fathoms of line without reaching the bottom.

The south end of the second shoal, is in:

Lat.i.tude 7 degrees 28 minutes 5 seconds: Longitude 119 degrees 18 minutes 00 seconds:

It stretches in a North-West direction for seven or eight miles, and to the eastward the breakers extended beyond the masthead horizon; its limit, therefore, in the latter direction, remained undetermined.

March 16.

The next morning a third shoal was discovered, the south-east end of which, is in:

Lat.i.tude 17 degrees 12 minutes: Longitude 119 degrees 35 minutes.

These dangerous reefs were named Rowley's Shoals, in compliment to the discoverer of the westernmost (the Imperieuse), the situation of which is a.s.signed by me to be 13 minutes 30 seconds to the eastward of Captain Rowley's account: the middle shoal, seen by us last evening, is certainly the one that Captain Clerke saw; but the third or north-easternmost, distinguished by the Mermaid's name, seems to be a new discovery.

On the north end of the Imperieuse shoal rocks were distinguishable, and some were also seen near its centre above the level of the sea: all other parts were under water. On the middlemost shoal no rocks were uncovered; but on the south-east end of the Mermaid's Shoal several were observed.

These reefs are of a coral formation, and are very dangerous to approach at night, from their vicinity being unfathomable to the depth of 170 fathoms; still, however, the surf that constantly breaks upon them may be heard at a great distance, and will generally be sufficient to warn the navigator of his danger.

March 23.