Volume II Part 24 (2/2)

The sh.o.r.e thence extends in a South-South-East direction for seventeen miles, in which s.p.a.ce there is a shoal bay, beyond which we did not penetrate. Off the point is an islet, in lat.i.tude about 16 degrees 58 minutes, and to the south of it the land was seen trending to the South by East for four or five miles, when it was lost in distance. From this anchorage no land was distinctly seen to the eastward; between the bearings of East-North-East and South-South-East, a slight glimmering of land was raised above the horizon, by the effect of refraction; but this, as in a case that occurred before in a neighbouring part off Point Gantheaume, might be at least fifty miles off.

From all that is at present known of this remarkable opening, there is enough to excite the greatest interest; since, from the extent of the opening, the rapidity of the stream, and the great rise and fall of the tides, there must be a very extensive gulf or opening, totally different from everything that has been before seen.

There is also good reason to suspect that the land between Cape Leveque and Point Gantheaume is an island; and if so, the mouth of this opening is eight miles wide; besides, who is to say that the land even of Cape Villaret may not also be an island? The French expedition only saw small portions of the coast to the southward; but it does not appear probable that the opening extends to the southward of Cape Villaret. (See above.)

Thirty-three miles in a North 14 degrees West direction from the summit of Caffarelli Island is ADELE ISLAND. It is low, and merely covered with a few shrubs, and is about three miles from east to west, and from one to one and a half broad; its west end is in 15 degrees 30 minutes South, and 123 degrees 9 minutes 15 seconds East. At about a league North-West from its western end are two bare sandy islets, which were uncovered as we pa.s.sed, but which as there was not the slightest appearance of vegetation upon it, may be covered at high water. On the western side of Adele Island, is an extensive patch of light-coloured water, in some parts of which the sea broke upon the rocks, which were only just below the surface. The light-coloured water extends for fourteen miles North West by West 1/2 West from Adele Island, but there is reason to think that the water is deep over the greater part of it; for we crossed over its tail, and sounded in forty-five fathoms without finding bottom, whilst in the darker-coloured water on either side of it, we had forty-two and forty-four fathoms.

POINT SWAN is the north-easternmost point of the land of Cape Leveque; it has an island close off its extremity, round which the tide rushes with great force, and forms a line of ripplings for ten miles to the West-North-West, through which, even in the Bathurst, we found it dangerous to pa.s.s. Five miles to the north-eastward of the point are two small rocky islets, two miles apart from each other.

CAPE LEVEQUE is low and rocky, with a small islet close to its extremity: its extreme is in lat.i.tude 16 degrees 21 minutes 50 seconds, and longitude 122 degrees 56 minutes 35 seconds. Between the cape and Point Swan, there is a sandy bay, fronted by a bed of rocks. It was in this bay that the Buccaneers anch.o.r.ed, which Dampier has so well described.

The coast between CAPES LEVEQUE and BORDA extending South 40 degrees West nineteen miles, is low and rocky, and the country sandy and unproductive.

Between Cape Borda and Point Emeriau is a bay ten miles deep, backed by very low sandy land; and five miles further is another bay, that appeared to be very shoal: thence the coast extends to the South-West for twenty-three miles to CAPE BASKERVILLE; it is low and sandy, like that to the northward, but the interior is higher, and with some appearance of vegetation.

Thirteen miles from the sh.o.r.e are the LACEPEDE ISLANDS; they are three in number, and surrounded by a reef nine miles long by five wide. They lie in a North-West direction, and are two miles apart: the north-westernmost is in lat.i.tude 16 degrees 49 minutes 40 seconds, and longitude 122 degrees 7 minutes 20 seconds: they are low and slightly clothed with bushes, and seem to be little more than the dry parts of the reef, on which a soil has been acc.u.mulated, and in time produced vegetation. These islands appear to be the haunt of prodigious numbers of b.o.o.bies. The variation is 0 degrees 12 minutes West.

In lat.i.tude 16 degrees 46 minutes, and longitude 121 degrees 50 minutes 30 seconds, the French have placed a reef, BANC DES BALEINES; which we did not approach near enough to see.

Between Capes Baskerville and Berthollet, is CARNOT BAY; it is six miles deep, and backed by low land. The bottom of the bay was not distinctly seen, but from the appearance of the land behind the beach, it is not improbable that there may be a rivulet falling into it.

At POINT COULOMB, in lat.i.tude 17 degrees 21 minutes, where there is a range of dark red cliffs, the coast commences to present a more verdant and pleasing appearance than to the north: the interior rises to an unusual height, and forms a round-backed hill, covered with trees: it reminded us of the appearance of the country of the north coast, and is so different from the rugged and barren character of the Islands of Buccaneer's Archipelago as to afford an additional ground for our conjecture of the insularity of this land. The red cliffs extend for four miles to the southward of Point Coulomb, and are then superseded by a low coast, composed alternately of rocky sh.o.r.es and sandy beaches.

CAPE BOILEAU is seventeen miles to the south of Point Coulomb; here the sh.o.r.e trends in and forms a bay fifteen miles wide and six deep: the south head is the land of Point Gantheaume, which is composed of sandhills very bare of vegetation, as was also the character of the interior. From Point Gantheaume, in lat.i.tude 17 degrees 53 minutes, the coast trends to the South-East for about fifteen miles, where it was lost to view in distance: the extreme was a low sandy point, and appeared to be the south extremity of the land. The s.p.a.ce to the south of this, which appeared to be a strait, insulating the land to the north as far as Cape Leveque, is nine miles wide. The south sh.o.r.e trends to the westward to Cape Villaret, on which there is a remarkable hillock, in lat.i.tude 18 degrees 19 minutes 5 seconds, and longitude 122 degrees 3 minutes 45 seconds.

The s.p.a.ce between the Cape and Point Gantheaume was called ROEBUCK BAY.

It is here that Captain Dampier landed, in the year 1688.

Three miles to the south of the hillock on Cape Villaret, are two lumps, which at a distance appeared like rocks. Cape Latouche-Treville has a small hummock near its extremity, in lat.i.tude 18 degrees 29 minutes, and longitude 121 degrees 50 minutes 50 seconds; to the eastward of it, there is a shallow bay open to the northward.

The depth of water in the offing of Roebuck Bay, is between eight and twelve fathoms; the bottom is sandy, and there are in some parts sandbanks, on which the depth decreased three fathoms at one heave, but the least water was eight fathoms. The flood-tide sets to the eastward, towards the opening, and at an anchorage near Cape Latouche-Treville, the ebb ran to the North-East: but the tides were at the neaps, and did not rise more than sixteen feet. Captain Dampier, at the springs, found it flow thirty feet, which tends unquestionably to prove the opening behind Roebuck Bay to be considerable, even if it does not communicate with that behind the Buccaneer's Archipelago.

The interval between Cape Latouche-Treville and Depuch Island, was not seen by us. The following brief description of it is taken from M. De Freycinet's account of Commodore Baudin's voyage.

LAGRANGE BAY, to the east of Cape Bossut, is a bight, the bottom of which was not seen. CAPE BOSSUT is low and sandy, as well as the neighbouring land; and, with the exception of a small grove of trees a little to the north of Cape Duhamel, the country is sterile everywhere.

The CASUARINA REEF is a bank of sand and rocks, parts of which are dry, on which the sea occasionally breaks. The channel between it and the sh.o.r.e is narrow and shoal, the depth being two and a half fathoms. The dry part of the reef extends from east to west for about two miles.

Between CAPES DUHAMEL and MISSIESSY, the coast is sandy and sterile, with rocky projections: GEOFFROY and DESAULT BAYS are of the same character.

With the exception of two intervals, one of which is to the west of Cape Missiessy, and the other to the east of the Bancs des Planaires, the French saw the coast between Capes Missiessy and Keraudren, but at a great distance. It appeared low and sterile.

The BANCS DES PLANAIRES appeared to have a considerable longitudinal extent; it was not ascertained whether they joined the mainland: some parts seemed to be dry at low water.

There is a bank with only fourteen feet water over it, situated nearly North-East from Cape Keraudren in 19 degrees 41 minutes lat.i.tude.

North, a little westerly, from CAPE LARREY, between which and Cape Keraudren there is a bay with an island (POISSONNIER) in the entrance, is BEDOUT ISLAND. It is in lat.i.tude 19 degrees 29 minutes, longitude 116 degrees 32 minutes, East of Paris, or 118 degrees 52 minutes East of Greenwich. It is low and sandy.

The BANC DES AMPHINOMES is very extensive, and appeared to be connected with the main; it is composed of coral, rocks, and sand.

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