Volume I Part 28 (1/2)
In the evening steering North-West by West we passed over a coral bank three miles wide, the least water on which was nine fatho coral This bank was again crossed in June, 1841, a mile and a half further to the South-West, when the depth was only seven fathoht miles South-South-West from a low islet, four miles from which in a West-South-West direction is a coral patch, nearly dry This islet, in latitude 23 degrees 34 ave the na Cape Capricorn The latter has a hu a haycock, and by our observations is in latitude 23 degrees 30 minutes 30 seconds South, which is two miles south of its position in the chart As ere detained by light winds in the neighbourhood, I had ht ere about 18 miles North by West from Cape Capricorn, e felt a swell fro in the reefs on the north side of the group of islets fronting the Cape
(Footnote Hummock Island is alike in error with Cape Capricorn, but all the distant points agree with the Beagle's observation)
FLAT ISLAND
June 22
There was a light air from South-West till near noon, then one from seahich freshened and became in the afternoon steady at South-East, a quarter it afterwards prevailed fro about three miles fros we had but just got into We were glad to find the shi+p's position, fixed by points both far and near, agree with the observations, a fact I can only account for here, from the circumstance, that Flinders laid down the coast about Port Bowen by observations on shore, whereas that in the neighbourhood of Cape Capricorn, was from those made with the sea-horizon which he found differ verythe day we added to the chart the position of two peaks, 1900 feet high, lying about 20the northern end of a high rocky range A current was also noticed setting north a mile an hour The entrance of Port Bowen bore West-South-West 15 ht, when the depth was 30 fathoms
NORTHUMBERLAND ISLES
June 22
From thence we steered to pass between Number 1 and Nuht lay down their outlines correctly, and also deter on the South-West side of Nu was Mount Westall, named by Flinders after the talented artist who accohest part of the eastern shore of Shoalwater Bay The soundings during the night were very regular, only varying from 30 to 33 fathoms with a soft ht up small stones The summit of Number 1 of the Northuh; a sandy bay on the west side proe, and on its south-east and northern sides were sohts of the other parts of the group vary from two to six hundred feet The crests of the western isles are covered with pine trees, which give theed appearance In the afternoon we passed in 34 fathoms four miles from the eastern side of the Percy Isles, which enabled us to add their eastern extre soPort Boe could form no idea of its character, but certainly e had seen did not leave a favourable impression of its apparent fertility
SANDALWOOD
Captains Flinders and King, having given a description of the Percy Isles, it will not be necessary forabout them, further than that they are composed of a trap-like compound with an aspect of serpentine, and that either on them or the Northumberland Isles, sandalwood has been found of late, and taken by a Tasmanian vessel to the China s decreased to 29 fatho South-West 10 miles Our course was now shaped for Cape Gloucester, the extreme of the cumberland Isles; and about this ti South-West by West nearly a knot an hour, a sure indication of there being openings in the barriers in that direction The great distance at which this part of it lies from the islands will render its exaht was anything but favourable for sailing a rain squalls At ht we passed nearly two miles from the North-East side of k of the cumberland Group, in 27 fatho abreast of Pentecost Island, the next evening, the 24th, when it increased to 35 fathoreen sandy mud bottom At 10 PM
we passed about seven miles froh Yet the night was so hazy, that it was only visible at intervals Here we noticed s which we afterwards found indicated a North-North-West current of a knot and a half an hour, caused no doubt by the proximity of a part of the barrier, the distance between it and Cape Gloucester being only 13 h with these fresh South-East winds and hazy weather, and rather low during the light North-West winds we experienced in the neighbourhood of Cape Capricorn
CAPE UPSTART
June 25
At daylight the Beagle was a fewpassed two miles from the north side of Holborn Island, in 28 fathoms The above headland received its na in fact from the lowness of the land behind, actually to start up out of the water
Chronoes of temperature, it was necessary to ascertain the rates of those in the Beagle again before reaching Port Essington, for a correct measurement of the difference of meridians between that place and Port Stephens The bay on the west side of Cape Upstart had been reco for that purpose, as he had considered it likely to be theThis conjecture the low land in the head of the bay, together with a singular break in the distant hills seely entered the bay and anchored half a mile within the North-East point
This took us till the afternoon to reach, in consequence of our having a light land breeze until 3 PM when it beca round to south, after sunset, and veering to South-West again in theThis alternation of land and seabreezes continued during our stay, for three or four successive days
In the evening we landed and ascended the North-East extremity of the Cape, fro were delusive, the low shores of the Bay could be traced all round, except in the North-West corner, where a point shut out our view
EXPLORATION OF A RIVER
On sweeping the western shore with a spyglass, I discovered the mouth of a river about a 's chart This river wasparty, and next day Captain Wickha service It has two entrances, both very shallow, and is of little i on a lee shore and fronted by a bar, which seems to break at all tie near, the discovery may hereafter prove of some value Captain Wickham found it fresh ten miles from the entrance, but at that point it is nearly lost in the sands, and so very shallow that the natives have a fishi+ng weir across it The land, which appears to be much cut up with creeks, is very flat on both sides, and is subject to inundations This was evident froht of six feet, on the trees that grew along the banks, theh-waterparty saw a few natives, but they were too shy to co on his hands and knees, to catch a glireat insect than a ood many smokes appeared; but I doubt whether thisa densely populated country, as fires are kindled by the Australian natives, both as signals and for the purposes of hunting
GEOLOGICAL QUERIES
Previous toa valuable paper by my friend Mr Darwin, on the forical Society;thus awakened to the subject, the interest of this ireatly enhanced by a series of queries, kindly furnished by Mr Darwin, and drawn up with a view to confir to elicit truth fro the research of others to further the objects of science
A: ”Are there h waterthe barrier reef?”
(Footnote See also the Hydrographer's Instructions supra)
RAISED BEACHES