Volume II Part 24 (1/2)
1821. August 2nd and 3rd. By seventeen sets of lunar distances with the sun, containing eighty-five sights with the s.e.xtant, the sun being to the west of the moon, the longitude of Sight Point, in Prince Regent's River, was found to be 124 degrees 41 minutes 15.3 seconds, or of Careening Bay 124 degrees 50 minutes 8.1 seconds.
The mean is the longitude of the observatory 125 degrees 0 minutes 46 seconds East.)
The CORONATION ISLANDS separate York Sound from Brunswick Bay, and are situated in front of Port Nelson. The group consists of seventeen or eighteen islands, besides numerous rocky islets. On the largest island are two remarkable peaks; the easternmost is in 14 degrees 59 minutes, and longitude 124 degrees 56 minutes 5 seconds. The island is eight miles long, and from four to two wide; the others are from three to one mile in length; they are covered with vegetation, and the larger islands are well clothed with trees. The great rise of the tide would render this part of the coast of importance, was it not for the wretched state of the country, and the unproductiveness of its soil, which are great drawbacks upon the advantage of the tide's unusual rise. It is high water at full and change in Port Nelson at twelve o'clock, as it is also in Montagu Sound.
Beyond the Coronation Islands there is a string of small, rocky islands extending for sixteen miles: the westernmost is Freycinet's Group; the princ.i.p.al island of which Captain De Freycinet has described as resembling an inverted bowl; and, from this description, we had no difficulty in finding it out; it is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 0 minutes 30 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 32 minutes 40 seconds. Among the other islands we distinguished the islets Colbert, Keraudren, and Buffon. On the last there is a small, gra.s.sy, peaked hillock, in lat.i.tude 14 degrees 55 minutes 25 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 43 minutes 20 seconds.
We pa.s.sed out to sea between Freycinet's Group and Keraudren; and within one mile and a half of the latter had eighteen fathoms: it appeared, from the colour of the water, to have a reef projecting to the westward.
BRUNSWICK BAY is at the back of these islands, and extends from CAPE BREWSTER, in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 6 minutes 10 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 55 minutes 5 seconds, which terminates Port Nelson, to Point Adieu. It is an extensive bay or sound, and is about twenty miles in extent, with good anchorage all over it. The coast is here very much indented by rivers and bays; among which may be particularized Prince Regent's River, Hanover Bay, and Port George the Fourth.
PRINCE REGENT'S RIVER is, without exception, the most remarkable feature of the North-West Coast. In general the inlets of this coast form extensive ports at their entrance; and, when they begin to a.s.sume the character of a river, their course becomes tortuous, and very irregular; of which there cannot be a better instance than the neighbouring river, Roe's River. Prince Regent's River trends into the interior in a South-East by East direction for fifty-four miles. With scarcely a point to intercept the view, after being thirteen miles within it. The entrance is formed by Cape Wellington on the east, and High Bluff on the west, a width of eight miles, but is so much contracted by islands, that, in hauling round Cape Wellington, the width is suddenly reduced to little more than a mile: at the branching off of Rothsay Water, it is little more than half a mile, and also the same width at the entrance of St.
George's Basin. In this s.p.a.ce, however, it is in some parts a little wider, but in no part between projecting points is it more than one mile and a quarter. For the first nine miles the stream is narrowed by islands; beyond this, its boundaries are formed by the natural banks of the river. On the eastern side, within Cape Wellington, is a deep bay, but of shoal and rocky appearance. At six miles farther on are two inlets, ROTHSAY and MUNSTER WATERS, near which the tide forms rapid eddies and whirlpools, that render its approach dangerous. In mid-channel is a group of isles; and, off the easternmost, a reef projects to the eastward for more than half a mile, round which a vessel must pa.s.s; here the channel is not more than half a mile wide. Munster Water, on the western side, communicates with Hanover Bay by a narrow strait, with very good anchorage in it in four and five fathoms mud; it is, however, an inconvenient place to go to, if a vessel is bound any farther up the river. Rothsay Water is a very considerable arm; and was conjectured to communicate with Prince Frederic's Harbour, and, if so, would insulate the land between Capes Torrens and Wellington. We did not enter Rothsay Water; and the tides and whirlpools were too rapid and dangerous to trust our small boats without running a very great risk. At the entrance of this arm, on the south sh.o.r.e, there appeared to be a shoal-bank. Halfway Bay offers very good anchorage out of the strength of the tides, with abundance of room to get underweigh from. The northernmost point of the bay, SIGHT POINT, has a small islet off it (LAMMAS ISLET) where the observations were taken to fix the longitude of Careening Bay. (See above.) The two bays on the opposite, or north-east sh.o.r.e, are shoal, and not fit for any vessel drawing more than six or seven feet; and the sh.o.r.es are so lined with mangroves, as in most parts to defy all attempts at landing. After pa.s.sing them, the sh.o.r.es approach each other within three-quarters of a mile, but the south-west sh.o.r.e is fronted by a rocky shoal, which narrows it to less than half a mile; here the tide runs very strong, and forms whirlpools. On pa.s.sing the point, the river opens into a large, s.p.a.cious reach, which was called ST. GEORGE'S BASIN; and two conspicuous islands in it were called ST. ANDREW and ST. PATRICK'S ISLANDS. At the north-east corner are two remarkable hills, MOUNTS TRAFALGAR and WATERLOO: the situation of the summit of the former is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 16 minutes 35 seconds, and longitude 125 degrees 4 minutes. The basin is from eight to nine miles in diameter, but affords no safe anchorage until a vessel is above St. Patrick's Island. The northern side of the basin is shoaler, and has two small inlets, which trend in on either side of the mounts, and run in for upwards of five miles, but they are salt. At the south side of the basin there are two or three inlets of considerable size, that trend in towards a low country.
At ten miles South-East by East from the narrow entrance to the basin the river again resumes its narrow channel, and runs up so perfectly straight for fourteen miles in a South-East by East course, that the hills, which rise precipitously on either bank, were lost in distance, and the river a.s.sumed the most exact appearance of being a strait; it was from one to one mile and a quarter wide, and generally of from four to eight fathoms deep on a bottom of yellow sand: the river then took a slight bend, and continued to run up for twelve or thirteen miles further, with a few slight curves, and gradually to decrease in width until terminated by a bar of rocks; which, when the tide rose high enough to fall over, was very dangerous to pa.s.s: here a considerable gully joins the main stream, and, being fresh water, was supposed to have the same source as Roe's River. The river trended up for about three or four miles farther, when it is entirely stopped by a rapid formed of stones, beyond which we did not persevere in tracing it; the tide did not reach above this, and the stream was perceived to continue and form a very beautiful fresh-water river, about two or three hundred yards wide. As our means did not allow of our persevering any further, we gave up our examination. At seventeen miles above St. George's Basin, on the south sh.o.r.e, we found a cascade of fresh water falling in a considerable quant.i.ty from the height of one hundred and forty feet; and this, in the rainy season, must be a very large fall, for its breadth is at least fifty yards. At the time of our visit it was near the end of the dry season: and even then there was a very considerable quant.i.ty falling. Several small inlets trended in on either side of the river above the basin, particularly one upon the north side, which, from the height of the hills under which it trended, would probably produce a freshwater stream. In 1821 the Bathurst watered from the cascade, but the fatigue was too great, and the heat too powerful, for the boats' crew had to pull nearly forty miles every trip. High water took place in St. George's Basin at twenty minutes after twelve o'clock: the tide rose twenty-four feet.
HANOVER BAY is a very convenient port, about five miles deep, but exposed from the North-North-West; the anchorage is, however, so good, that no danger need be apprehended. At the bottom of the bay there is a deep chasm in the land, yielding a fresh-water stream; beyond this the bay terminates in a shoal basin. In the offing are several rocky islets, particularly one, a high rock, which is very remarkable. A little to the north-east of the river is a sandy beach, the situation of which is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 18 minutes 21 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 46 minutes 50 seconds.
HIGH BLUFF, the extremity of the promontory separating Hanover Bay from Port George the Fourth, speaks for itself. It is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 14 minutes 40 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 41 minutes 35 seconds.
Between High Bluff and Point Adieu, in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 14 minutes 10 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 34 minutes 45 seconds, is PORT GEORGE THE FOURTH, having midway in its entrance a high island nearly two miles long; and to the southward, in the centre of the port, a high rocky islet, the LUMP, the summit of which is situated in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 18 minutes 30 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 37 minutes 50 seconds.
The western side of the port is an extensive island, AUGUSTUS ISLAND, eleven miles long; it is high and rocky, and has several bays on its eastern side. The port affords very good anchorage, particularly between Entrance Island and the Lump, in nine fathoms, mud; but there is also very good anchorage with the Lump bearing west, in ten fathoms, mud. Port George the Fourth terminates in a strait, ROGER'S STRAIT, communicating with Camden Bay. The best entrance to the port is on the eastern side of Entrance Island; for the opposite, although practicable and sufficiently deep for the largest s.h.i.+ps, is narrow, and must be buoyed before it can be used.
POINT ADIEU is the last land seen by us in 1820: it is the north-east end of Augustus Island, and is a rocky, bluff point. In the offing, at the distance of three miles, there is a considerable range of reefs, that extend from the peaked island of Jackson's Isles; and more to the north-west is another group of rocky islands.
To the westward of Augustus Island is a range of islands extending for five leagues; on their north side they are fronted by considerable coral reefs, which at low water are dry; besides which there are several small islets that contract the channels, and render the navigation intricate and difficult. Between Augustus and Byam Martin's Islands there is an open strait, of one mile and a half wide; but, its communication with the sea to the north, appears to be little more than half a mile. BYAM MARTIN'S ISLAND is separated from a range of small islets, extending North-North-East by a strait; and these last are divided from the Champagny Isles by another strait, from twenty-eight to thirty fathoms deep, through which the tide runs with great force. Off the north end of Byam Martin's Island are several smaller islets and coral reefs; the latter extend from it for more than six miles: the north-westernmost of these islets is the land seen in 1801 by Captain Heywood, and was called by him Vulcan Point: RED ISLAND, which he also saw, is eight miles to the westward; it is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 13 minutes 15 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 15 minutes 45 seconds: between it and Champagny Isles the ebbing tide uncovered several extensive reefs. Ten miles North 26 degrees East from Red Island, and South 71 degrees West from Freycinet's Island, is a dry sandbank surrounded by a reef.
DEGERANDO ISLAND, so called by the French, is the southernmost of the CHAMPAGNY ISLES: considerable reefs extend off its south end, which are dry at low water; its centre is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 20 minutes 45 seconds, and longitude 124 degrees 13 minutes 15 seconds.
CAMDEN BAY is formed between Byam Martin's Island and Pratt's Islands, and extends to the eastward to Roger's Strait; it is twelve miles deep and eight wide. Here the tide rose and fell thirty-seven feet and a half, the moon's age being nineteen days. High water took place thirteen minutes after the moon's transit.
Between Camden Bay and Point Swan, a distance of ninety miles, the mainland falls back, and forms a very considerable opening fronted by a mult.i.tude of islands, islets, and reefs, into which, from our loss of anchors; we were not able to penetrate. From Camden Bay the islands, for the coast seemed too irregular to be the mainland, extend in a range in a south direction for more than fifty-five miles, to where there appeared to be a deep opening, or strait, from three to five miles wide. An irregular line of coast then appeared to extend for seven leagues to the North-West, and afterwards to the westward for five or six leagues. To the westward of this, the land appeared to be less continuous, and to be formed by a ma.s.s of islands separated by deep and narrow straits, through some of which the tide was observed to rush with considerable strength, foaming and curling in its stream, as if it were rus.h.i.+ng through a bed of rocks: this was particularly observed among the islands to the south of Macleay's Islands. After extending for thirty miles farther to the South-West, the land terminates evidently in islands, which then trend to the South-East; and to the westward they are separated from Cygnet Bay, and the land to the southward of it by a strait five or six leagues wide.
The narrowest part of this strait is at Point Cunningham, where it is twelve miles wide; two-thirds over to the islands are two rocky islets, which bear due south from Sunday Strait.
MONTGOMERY ISLANDS, a group of seven islets on the eastern side of this extensive range of islands, which are named BUCCANEER'S ARCHIPELAGO, are low and of small extent, particularly the six easternmost, none of which are a mile long: the westernmost, which has an extensive reef stretching to the North-West, is more than three miles in diameter, and appears to be of different formation to the other, being low and flat, whilst the rest are scarcely better than a heap of stones, slightly clothed with vegetation. Between the easternmost islet and the land, there is a strait of a league in width. The tide prevented our trying its depth: a league and a half to the north-west, at high-water, we had irregular soundings between ten and sixteen fathoms, but six fathoms must be deducted from it to reduce it to the depth at low water.
Three leagues to the north-west of Montgomery's westernmost island are c.o.c.kELL'S ISLES, two in number, low and flat, but of small size. A reef extends for more than five miles to the westward, and it was not thought improbable that it might be connected with the reefs that extend to the westward of Montgomery Islands. The centre of the largest island is in 15 degrees 48 minutes South, and 124 degrees 4 minutes East. To the North-East of c.o.c.kell's Islands the flood-tide sets to the south; but to the westward with great strength to the South-East, and, at an anchorage ten miles to the eastward of Macleay Isles, the tide rose and fell thirty-six feet, the moon being twenty-one days old. c.o.c.kell's Islands are twenty miles from the land to the south; and in this interval, but within four leagues from the sh.o.r.e, are several small rocky islets, on one of which there is a remarkable lump; nearer the sh.o.r.e are two islands, which have a more fertile and verdant appearance than any other part near them: these form the western extremity of COLLIER'S BAY.
MACLEAY ISLES lie in a North by West direction, and are eight miles in extent; the princ.i.p.al and highest island is near the south end of the group; those to the northward are small and straggling. The centre of the highest is in lat.i.tude 15 degrees 57 minutes, and longitude 123 degrees 42 minutes.
CAFFARELLI ISLAND was seen by the French. Its summit is in lat.i.tude 16 degrees 2 minutes 25 seconds, and longitude 123 degrees 18 minutes 35 seconds. It is the north-westernmost of a range of islands, extending in the direction of North 60 degrees West; among which Cleft Island, so named from a remarkable cleft or chasm near its north end, and DAMPIER'S MONUMENT, are conspicuous: the latter is a high lump. This range is separated from one of a similar nature, and extending in a like direction to the eastward, by a strait from three to four miles wide, and from fifteen to twenty deep.
Fourteen miles North 68 degrees West from the summit of Caffarelli Island is BRUE REEF, a circular patch of rocks of about a mile in diameter; three miles to the north-east of which we had irregular soundings, between thirty-eight and forty-five fathoms on a rocky bottom. The reef is in 15 degrees 57 minutes South, and 123 degrees 4 minutes 45 seconds East.
Six miles south of Caffarelli Island, is a rocky island, surrounded by a reef; and eight miles farther are several small rocky islands, forming the north extremity of a range, which, extending to the South by East for ten miles, form the eastern side of Sunday Strait, which is the best, and in fact the only safe communication with the deep opening between Point Cunningham and the islands to the eastward. Between this strait and Point Swan, a distance of eleven miles, the s.p.a.ce is occupied by a mult.i.tude of islands and islets, separated from each other by narrow and, probably, by deep channels, through which the tide rushes with frightful rapidity.
Sunday Strait is more than four miles wide, and appears to be free from danger. The tide sets through it at the rate of four or five miles an hour, and forms strong ripplings, which would be, perhaps, dangerous for a boat to encounter. The vessel was whirled round several times in pa.s.sing through it; but a boat, by being able to pull, might in a great measure avoid pa.s.sing through them.
CYGNET BAY is formed between the islands and Point Cunningham; it is fronted by a bank, over which the least water that we found was two fathoms; within this bank there is good anchorage, and near the inlets at the bottom of the bay, there is a muddy bottom, with eight and nine fathoms mud.
POINT CUNNINGHAM projects slightly to the eastward; its easternmost extremity is in lat.i.tude 16 degrees 39 minutes 20 seconds and longitude 123 degrees 10 minutes; from the northward it has the appearance of being an island, as the land to the westward is rather lower: two miles and a half south of it is Carlisle Head, the north extremity of GOODENOUGH BAY.