Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia Volume II Part 16

(*Footnote. This bay was originally called Gla.s.s House Bay, in allusion to the name given by Captain Cook to three remarkable gla.s.s house-looking hills near Pumice-stone River; but as Captain Cook bestowed the name of Moreton Bay upon the strait to the south of Moreton Island, that name has a prior claim, and is now generally adopted. A penal settlement has lately been formed at Red Cliff Point, which is situated a little to the north of the embouchure of the Brisbane River.)

(*Footnote. Flinders Introduction cxcvi.)

WIDE BAY, the entrance of which is in lat.i.tude 25 degrees 49 minutes, was examined by Mr. Edwardson, the master of one of the government colonial vessels; he found it to be a good port, having in its entrance a channel of not less than three fathoms deep; and to communicate with Hervey's Bay, thus making an island of the Great Sandy Peninsula.

INDIAN HEAD is in lat.i.tude 25 degrees 1 minute, and longitude 153 degrees 23 minutes.

APPENDIX A. SECTION 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WINDS AND WEATHER, AND OF THE PORTS, ISLANDS, AND COAST BETWEEN BREAKSEA SPIT AND CAPE YORK.

NORTH-EAST COAST.

The south-east trade is occasionally suspended near the sh.o.r.e by north-easterly winds during the months of June, July, and August, the only season that I have any experience of the winds and weather upon the north-east coast; the weather is generally thick and cloudy, and often accompanied with showers of rain, particularly during the two first months.

In the neighbourhood of Breaksea Spit in May, 1819, we experienced a fresh gale from the westward, after which it veered to south-east with thick rainy weather: and in the neighbourhood of Cape Capricorn, in June, 1821, we had a fresh gale from the north-east. Among the Northumberland Islands, we have experienced westerly winds, but they blew in light breezes with fine weather.

Even as far as Cape Grafton the wind cannot be said to be steady.

To the north of this point, however, the winds are always constant from the southward, and seldom or ever veer to the westward of south, or to the eastward of South-East by East; they generally are from South-South-East: fresh winds cause the weather to be hazy, and sometimes bring rain, which renders the navigation among the reefs in some degree dangerous. In my last voyage up the coast, on approaching Cape York, the weather was so thick that we could not see more than a quarter of a mile ahead; we, however, ran from reef to reef, and always saw them in sufficient time to alter the course if we were in error. In such a navigation cloudy dull weather is, however, rather an advantage than otherwise, because the reefs, from the absence of the glare of the sun, are more distinctly seen, particularly in the afternoon, when the sun is to the westward. Later in the season (August 1820) we had more settled weather, for the wind seldom veered to the southward of South-South-East, or eastward of East-South-East; and this weather accompanied us from Breaksea Spit, through Torres Strait.

The best time for pa.s.sing up this coast is in April and the beginning of May, or between the middle of August and latter end of October; in the months of June and July, the pa.s.sage is not apparently so safe, on account of the changeable weather that may be encountered, which to a stranger would create much anxiety, although no real danger. Strict attention to these directions and confidence in the chart, with a cautious lookout will, however, neutralize all the dangers that thick weather may produce in this navigation.

The tides and currents in this part are not of much consequence. The rise of tide is trifling, the flood-tide sets to the North-West, but at a very slow rate. In the neighbourhood of the reefs, the stream sometimes sets at the rate of a knot or in some cases at two knots, but for a small distance it is scarcely perceptible. There appeared rather to be a gentle drain of current to the North-West.

HERVEY'S BAY and BUSTARD BAY have been already described by Captains Cook and Flinders. We did not enter either, so that I have nothing to offer in addition to the valuable information of those navigators (Hawkesworth volume 3 page 113 and 117; and Flinders Introduction cci. and volume 2 page 9 et seq.)

LADY ELLIOT'S ISLAND is a low islet, covered with shrubs and trees, and surrounded by a coral reef, which extends for three-quarters of a mile from its north-east end; the island is not more than three-quarters of a mile long, and about a quarter of a mile broad; it is dangerous to approach at night, from being very low. It is situated thirty miles North 53 degrees West (magnetic) from the extremity of Breaksea Spit (as laid down in Captain Flinders' chart); its lat.i.tude is 24 degrees 6 minutes, and its longitude 152 degrees 45 minutes 15 seconds.

BUNKER'S GROUP consists of three islets; they are low and wooded like Lady Elliot's Island, and lie South-East and North-West from each other; the south-easternmost (or 1st) has a coral reef projecting for two miles and a half to the North-East: four miles and a half to the North-West of the north-westernmost (or 3rd islet) is a large shoal, which, from the heavy breakers upon it, is probably a part of the barrier or outer reefs.

The centre island (or 2nd) of the group is in lat.i.tude 23 degrees 51 minutes 10 seconds, and longitude 152 degrees 19 minutes 5 seconds. Off the south-west end of the 2nd island is a small detached islet connected to it by a reef; and off the north-east end of the 3rd island is another islet, also connected by a coral reef.

The s.p.a.ces between these islands, which are more than a league wide, are quite free from danger: we pa.s.sed within a quarter of a mile of the south end of the reef off the 3rd island, without getting bottom with ten fathoms.

RODD'S BAY, a small harbour on the west side of the point to the northward of Bustard Bay, offers a good shelter for vessels of one hundred and fifty tons burden. The channel lies between two sandbanks, which communicate with either sh.o.r.e. In hauling round the point, steer for Middle Head, a projecting rocky point covered with trees, keeping the centre of it in the bearing of about South (magnetic); you will then carry first five, then six and seven fathoms: when you are abreast of the north low sandy point, you have pa.s.sed the sandbank on the eastern side, the extremity of which bears from the point West 1/4 North about one mile: then haul in East by South, and anchor at about one-third of a mile from the low sandy point bearing North.

In hauling round this point, you must not shoalen your water, on the south side, to less than four fathoms, as the sandbank projects for a mile and a quarter from Middle Head. In the centre of the channel, between Sandy Point and Middle Head, and at about one third of a mile from the former, you will have seven, eight, and nine fathoms water, until it bears North by East when it shoals to five fathoms. The situation of the extremity of the low sandy point upon Captain Flinders'

chart (East Coast sheet 3) is in lat.i.tude 23 degrees 59 minutes 45 seconds, and longitude 151 degrees 34 minutes 45 seconds. High water takes place at eight hours and a half after the moon's transit.

In standing into Rodd's Bay, the water does not shoalen until you are in a line with the north points of Facing Island and Bustard Bay.

There is a run of fresh water in the bay to the eastward of the low sandy point, but it was not thought to be a durable stream. Wood may be cut close to the beach, and embarked without impediment.

PORT BOWEN. Captain Flinders, in his account of this port, has merely confined himself to the anchorage under Entrance Island (lat.i.tude 22 degrees 29 minutes, longitude 150 degrees 45 minutes 30 seconds) which is, at best, but an exposed roadstead. The channel in, on the north side of the island, is free from danger, but, on the south side, between it and Cape Clinton, there is an extensive shoal on which the sea breaks heavily: it was not ascertained whether it is connected with the bank off the south end of the island, but there is every probability of it. The inlet round Cape Clinton affords good anchorage: but in the mid-channel the depth is as much as eighteen fathoms; the sands on the western side of the inlet are steep to, and should be avoided, for the tide sweeps upon them. The best anchorage is in the sandy bay round the inner trend of the cape (lat.i.tude 22 degrees 31 minutes 40 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 44 minutes) where both wood and water are convenient. In steering in from sea, haul round the cape, and pa.s.s about half to three-quarters of a mile to the north of the high round island, in seven fathoms, avoiding the sandbanks on either side. In pa.s.sing the inner trend of the cape, the water will shoal to three and three-quarter fathoms, but do not approach too near the point. When you have opened the inlet, steer in, and, having pa.s.sed the inner cape, haul in to a sandy bay on the eastern side, where you may anchor in eight or nine fathoms at pleasure.

The centre of the shoal in the middle of the port bears North 1/4 East by compa.s.s, from the high round island, and North by West 1/4 West when in a line with Entrance Island.

High water appears to take place half an hour later than at Entrance Island, or about 10 hours 40 minutes after the moon's southing (the moon's age being thirteen days). The tide did not rise more than six feet, but it wanted three days to the springs. Captain Flinders supposes the spring tides to rise not less than fifteen feet. The variation of the compa.s.s was 9 degrees 5 minutes East, off Cape Clinton, but at Entrance Island, according to Captain Flinders, it was 7 degrees 40 minutes East.

NORTHUMBERLAND ISLANDS. In the direction of North 8 degrees East (magnetic) and five miles and a half from the 3rd Island, is a low rock which, at high water, is very little above the surface of the sea; it is very dangerous because it is in the direct track of vessels steering towards the Percy Isles. It escaped the observation of Captain Flinders.

In the direction of South 42 degrees West (magnetic) and ten miles from the west end of Percy Island Number 1, are some rocks, but I am not aware whether they are covered: they were seen by Lieutenant Jefferies in 1815.

Another patch of dry rocks was seen by me from the summit of a hill at the west end of Percy Island Number 1, whence they bore South 60 degrees West (magnetic) and were supposed to be distant about eight or nine miles. The variation of the compa.s.s here is between 7 and 8 degrees East.

The PERCY ISLES have also been described by Captain Flinders; the bay at the west end of Number 1 is of very steep approach and not safe to anchor in, excepting during a south-east wind: the anchorage at Number 2, inside the Pine Islets, is bad, since the bottom is rocky; the ground is, however, clearer more to the southward; on the whole this anchorage is not insecure, since there is a safe pa.s.sage out either on the north or south sides of the Pine Islets. Wood may be procured with facility, and water also, unless the streams fail in the dry season. Captain Flinders was at these islands at the latter end of September, and found it abundant. The flood-tide comes from the north-east; at the anchorage in the channel, between the pine islets and Number 2, the flood sets to the south, and the ebb to the north; the maximum rate was one and a quarter knot. High water occurred at the latter place two hours and a half before the moon's pa.s.sage; but on the following day did not precede it more than one hour and a half. Captain Flinders mentions high water taking place on sh.o.r.e at eight hours after the moon's pa.s.sage. (Vide Flinders volume 2 page 82.) The tide rose twelve feet when the moon was thirteen days old.

The north-west end of Number 1 is in lat.i.tude 21 degrees 44 minutes 50 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 16 minutes 40 seconds; south-west end of Number 2 is in lat.i.tude 21 degrees 40 minutes 50 seconds, longitude 150 degrees 13 minutes.

In pa.s.sing SHOAL POINT, in lat.i.tude 21 degrees 0 minutes 5 seconds, longitude 149 degrees 7 minutes 40 seconds, Captain Cook's ship got into shoal water, and at one time had as little as three fathoms (Hawkesworth volume 3 page 131); and the merchant ship Lady Elliot, in the year 1815, met with a sandbank extending from the island off the point in a north-east direction for ten miles, on one part of which she found only nine feet water.

The Mermaid pa.s.sed the point at the distance of three miles, and, when the island bore South 68 degrees West, distant two miles and a half, had four and three-quarter fathoms, which was the least water that was found, but, being then high water, five or six feet, if not more, may be deducted, to reduce it to the proper low water sounding. There was no appearance of shoaler water near us, and it is probable that Captain Cook's and the Lady Elliot's tracks were farther off sh.o.r.e. The variation of the compa.s.s, six miles east of Point Slade, was 7 degrees 11 minutes East.

CAPE HILLSBOROUGH is a projection terminating in a bluff point in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 53 minutes 40 seconds, and longitude 149 degrees 0 minutes 15 seconds: being high land, it may be seen seven or eight leagues off. The variation here is 6 degrees 30 minutes East.

The c.u.mBERLAND ISLES extend between the parallels of 20 and 21 degrees 6 minutes, and consist generally of elevated, rocky islands; they are all abundantly wooded, particularly with pines, which grow to a larger size than at the Percy Isles. We did not land upon any of them; they appeared to be of bold approach, and not dangerous to navigate amongst; they are from six to eight hundred feet high, and some of the peaks on the northern island are much higher.

k l (lat.i.tude 21 degrees 5 minutes 40 seconds, longitude 149 degrees 54 minutes 25 seconds) is about three-quarters of a mile in diameter; it is of peaked shape; at three-quarters of a mile off its south-east end there is a dry rocky lump.

k (lat.i.tude 21 degrees 0 minutes, longitude 149 degrees 52 minutes 30 seconds) is nearly a mile and a quarter in diameter, and has a considerable reef stretching for more than a mile and a half off both its north-west and south-east ends; on the latter is a small rocky islet.

k 2 (in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 58 minutes, longitude 149 degrees 44 minutes 55 seconds) is of hummocky shape; it has also a reef off its south-east and north-west ends, stretching off at least a mile. On the south-east reef is a dry rocky islet.

THREE ROCKS, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 56 1/4 minutes, are small islets of moderate height. All these islands are surrounded by deep water. The variation here is about 6 3/4 degrees East.

k 4, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 53 minutes 10 seconds, and k 4 1/2, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 58 minutes, and the two sandy islets to the westward of them, were seen only at a distance.

l, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 51 minutes 10 seconds, l 1, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 54 minutes 10 seconds, containing two islands, l 3, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 44 minutes l5 seconds, and l 4, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 45 minutes 30 seconds, are also high, but we were not nearer to them than six or seven miles; l 2, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 45 minutes 40 seconds, longitude 149 degrees 33 minutes 55 seconds, is the island on which Captain Flinders landed, and describes in volume 2 page 94; he says, "This little island is of triangular shape, and each side of it is a mile long; it is surrounded by a coral reef. The time of high water took place ONE HOUR before the moon's pa.s.sage, as it had done among the barrier reefs; from ten to fifteen feet seemed to be the rise by the sh.o.r.e, and the flood came from the northward." The variation near l 2 is 6 degrees 17 minutes East.

m is a high, bluff island, the peaked summit of which, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 46 minutes 35 seconds and longitude 149 degrees 15 minutes 15 seconds, is eight hundred and seventy-four feet high: there are several islets off its south-east end, and one off its north-west end.

SIR JAMES SMITH'S GROUP consists of ten or twelve distinct islands, and perhaps as many more, for we were not within twelve miles of them. On the princ.i.p.al island is LINNE PEAK, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 40 minutes 30 seconds, and longitude 149 degrees 9 minutes 10 seconds; it is seven or eight hundred feet high.

SHAW'S PEAK, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 28 minutes, longitude 149 degrees 2 minutes 55 seconds, is on a larger island than any to the southward; it is sixteen hundred and one feet high. The group consists of several islands; it is separated from the next to the northward by a channel five miles wide. In the centre is PENTECOST ISLAND, a remarkable rock, rising abruptly out of the sea to the height of eleven hundred and forty feet.

Its lat.i.tude is 20 degrees 23 minutes 10 seconds, and longitude 148 degrees 59 minutes 30 seconds.

The northern group of the c.u.mberland Islands are high, and appear to be better furnished with wood, and more fertile than the southern groups, particularly on their western sides.

The princ.i.p.al peak, in lat.i.tude 29 degrees 15 minutes 10 seconds and longitude 148 degrees 55 minutes, is fifteen hundred and eighty-four feet high, and is situated on the largest island, which is ten miles long, and from three to nine broad: it has several bays on either side, and off its south-eastern end are four small islands: beyond them is a range of rocky islets. The northernmost island of this range is the extremity of the c.u.mberland Islands, as well as the north-eastern limit of Whitsunday Pa.s.sage; it forms a high, bluff point, in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 0 minutes, and longitude 148 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds, and is of bold approach: on the western side of the island are some low islets.

REPULSE BAY is a deep bight: its sh.o.r.es are low, but the hills rise to a great height. The extremity of the bay was not distinctly traced, but it is probable, upon examining it, that a fresh-water rivulet may be found; and there may be a communication with Edgec.u.mbe Bay.

The Repulse Isles are of small size; they are surrounded by rocks, which do not extend more than a quarter of a mile from them. The summit of the largest island is in lat.i.tude 20 degrees 37 minutes 5 seconds, and longitude 148 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds. Variation 6 degrees 15 minutes East.

Between Capes Conway and Hillsborough the flood-tide comes from the north-eastward, but is very irregular in the direction of the stream. At an anchorage off the island near the latter cape the tide rose twelve feet, but close to the Repulse Isles, the rise was eighteen feet. At the former place, the moon being full, high water took place at about three-quarters past ten o'clock; by an observation the next day at the latter, it was a quarter of an hour later: the maximum rate was about one and a half knot.

WHITSUNDAY Pa.s.sAGE, formed by the northern group of the c.u.mberland Islands, is from three to six miles wide, and, with the exception of a small patch or rocks within a quarter of a mile from Cape Conway, and a sandbank (that is probably dry, or nearly so at low water) off Round Head, is free from danger. The sh.o.r.es appear to be bold to, and the depth, in the fairway, varies between twenty and thirty fathoms; the shoal off Round Head stretches in a North-North-West direction, but its extent was not ascertained.