Volume II Part 10 (1/2)

Barrow Island.

Heavy gale off the Montebello Isles.

Rowley's Shoals.

Cape Leveque.

Dangerous situation of the brig among the islands of Buccaneer's Archipelago.

Examination and description of Cygnet Bay.

Lose an anchor, and leave the coast.

Adele Island.

Return to Port Jackson.

1822. January 6.

We sailed from King George's Sound on the 6th.

January 8.

But from south-westerly winds, were no further advanced by the 8th than the meridian of Cape Chatham. After which, entering a current setting at one mile an hour to the westward, the brig made considerable progress.

January 10.

At daylight, 10th, Cape Leeuwin came in sight from the masthead, and at eight o'clock was seen from the deck at the distance of ten leagues, bearing North 42 degrees East by compa.s.s.

At this, the south-westernmost extremity of New Holland, Captain Flinders commenced his examination of the south coast, but saw no part to the northward. The French expedition under Captain Baudin were upon this part at two different periods of their voyage, and it appears from an examination of their tracks that the coast between Capes Leeuwin and Peron, the latter of which is about five leagues to the southward of the entrance of Swan River, has been sufficiently examined by them. They landed in several parts of Geographe Bay which affords a shelter from southerly winds but is so exposed to those between North and West-North-West that the French s.h.i.+ps ran great danger of being s.h.i.+pwrecked during a gale from that quarter.

The coast is sandy, and from M. Peron's description, barren and unprofitable. With the exception of the Recif du Naturaliste which lies about five leagues to the north of the Cape of that name there seems to be no danger in the vicinity of the bay. The small inlet of Port Leschenault is only the embouchure of a salt-marsh; it is scarcely attainable even by boats; for there appears to be only three feet water on the bar, and over and within it not more than fifteen feet. The French found no fresh water in any part of Geographe Bay. From Port Leschenault to Cape Peron the coast is low and sandy but inland it is of a moderate height and appears to be furnished with a slight vegetation. The French s.h.i.+ps sailed along this coast at the distance of four or five miles from the beach, and the report made by them is sufficiently in detail for all the purposes of navigation.

Upon these considerations it was not deemed necessary that we should examine this part again, and therefore sailed at a distance from the land to ensure a quicker pa.s.sage to Cape Peron, in order to explore the bay behind the Isles of Louis Napoleon. Swan River and Rottnest Island had been already carefully examined by the French; but from the latter island to the North-west Cape, with the exception of Shark's Bay, they saw very little of the coast, and have given its outline princ.i.p.ally from Van Keulen.*

(*Footnote. Freycinet page 441.)

At noon on the 10th our lat.i.tude was 34 degrees 16 minutes 14 seconds, and a large bare, sandy patch upon the land, the Tache Blanche remarquable of Captain Baudin, bore North 77 degrees East (magnetic). At six o'clock in the evening we pa.s.sed Cape Naturaliste, having experienced a strong current setting North 11 degrees West, at nearly two miles per hour; hence we steered to the northward, but it was dark when we pa.s.sed near the position a.s.signed to the Recif Naturaliste: after steering on for three hours longer we edged in for the land and at ten o'clock hauled to the wind for the night.

January 11.

The next day at noon we were in lat.i.tude 32 degrees 36 minutes 2 seconds, having the land about Cape Peron in sight from the masthead, bearing East by South 1/2 South; but during the day the wind was so light that we had not approached it within four leagues by sunset.

At this time the coast was visible as far as Cape Bouvard between which and Cape Peron it is low and sandy, but the hills appeared to be tolerably well wooded, and of a moderate height. Buache Island was visible as well as the small rocky islet between it and Cape Peron. The former is low and sandy, and its outline of hummocky shape; and to the eastward was some distant land trending towards the a.s.signed entrance of Swan River. To the northward of Buache Island a small lump was seen on the horizon, which perhaps might have been Berthollet Island, but it was very indistinct. The sun set in a dense bank and the moment it disappeared a very copious dew began to fall.

January 12.

The next morning at daylight the land to the southward of Cape Peron was ten miles off, but at half-past nine o'clock we were between Capes Peron and Bouvard, and about five miles from the sh.o.r.e, which from the former extended in a North-East by North direction, still low and sandy.

At noon the lat.i.tude was observed to be 32 degrees 30 minutes 42 seconds, but by the land it was only 32 degrees 23 minutes 30 seconds, a difference of 7 minutes 12 seconds. This error was occasioned by the haze which concealed the true horizon, and caused an appearance of land all round us, on which rocks, sandy beaches, and trees were so plainly formed that the officer of the watch actually reported two islands on the western horizon. This was the most remarkable instance of mirage that we ever witnessed; the haze had only commenced a few minutes before noon, whilst the observation for the lat.i.tude was in the act of being taken; and immediately after I was employed upon the chart for half an hour, puzzling myself in attempting to reconcile the observed lat.i.tude with the bearings of the land. This curious phenomenon was also witnessed by the French in Geographe Bay. During the time this magical appearance continued, we had very light airs from the southward: the barometrical column fell to 29.76 inches, but the hygrometer indicated an extraordinary dryness of the air. At sunset the haze cleared away, when Rottnest Island was seen, bearing between North 10 degrees and 32 degrees East (magnetic); a breeze then freshened from West-South-West but gradually veered round to the southward; and at nine o'clock was very light from South-East.

January 13.

During the night we made short tacks. At four o'clock in the morning (13th) the lat.i.tude by the moon's meridional alt.i.tude was 32 degrees 16 minutes 17 seconds, and soon afterwards Rottnest was in sight in the North-North-East. At six o'clock the sky was clouded, and the weather threatened to be bad; the mercury fell to 29.69 inches, upon which all sail was made off the land, as appearances indicated a westerly gale: but after an interval of two hours, during which we had a fresh breeze from North-West by West, the weather cleared up and we steered towards Rottnest Island.