Volume II Part 13 (1/2)

April 6

There was unusual weather last night, overcast with a squally westerly wind Just laying our course North-North-West, at noon ere in latitude 29 degrees 11 ned to a reef called the Turtle Dove Fro a shoal Captain King passed near this position, and also re it The Colonial schooner Cha to the southward, has passed over and near its assigned position, and I think we may fairly infer that there is no such reef as the Turtle Dove, and that probably it originated from the south end of the Abrolhos reef, tenseen We found 29 fathoms on this supposed shoal, with 35, twelve ht miles in the same direction Between it and the south end of the Abrolhos Group the water deepened to 35 fatho the nearest island we passed close round the south-east end of a reef, running out about aaway round in a North-west by North direction, so as to foroon, whilst the island I haveNorth-east by North--for frolad to find shelter, so near the coht on the east side of the island, three quarters of a mile from the south point, where we anchored in 13 fathoms, scarcely a quarter of a mile from the shore A coral patch, of two and a half fathoms, with only two on its northern extree, which affords shelter from South-South-East round by West to North-east by North The tide rose here 32 inches

Froood view of the island, in some places scarcely a cable wide, and a nuoon at this place was not hline of white breakers rolling in on the other side in sole turbulence with the placid waters within the protection of the reef and island I could clearly distinguish the lier in this direction, and that there was nothing to break the swell beyond The surface of the lagoon was diversified by blue and grey patches, showing the alternations of shoal and deep water; near the centre there appeared to be a channel, which we afterwards found to be ten fathoht where ere anchored, there was a narro sandy neck, placed by our observations in latitude 28 degrees 58 ree 47 minutes 32 seconds west of Swan River, over which we hauled a boat to exaoon

(Footnote As we shall refer all longitudes during this cruise to Scott's Jetty, Swan River, I itude of that place is considered to be 115 degrees 47 minutes East of Greenwich)

A few reroves pointed out the position of sooons about a mile and a half from the south end of the island, which is fronted by a line of low overhanging cliffs of recent, cream-coloured limestone Upon these rests a layer of a kind of soil, in sohteen inches deep, in others four feet, in which the seabirds burrow, and which, frouano, I believe to contain so Houtman's Abrolhos which we subsequently exans of the presence of thismade the subject of enquiry

On the south part of the island I found a block of scoriato possess the power of floating, ht by the current from the volcanic island of St Paul's We saw a few hair-seals on the beach e landed, and a rich kind of rock oyster was found at loater

PELSART GROUP

On the south west point of the island the beae vessel were discovered, and as the crew of the Zeewyk, lost in 1728, reported having seen the wreck of a shi+p on this part, there is little doubt that the remains were those of the Batavia, Commodore Pelsart, lost in 1627 We in consequence naroup Pelsart Group It was the wreck of this Dutch shi+p that led to the discovery of this part of the continent of Australia, Co crossed over to it in a boat in search of water

VISIT TO THE MAIN

April 8

In the afternoon we got underweigh, with a fresh south wind The low neck over which the boat was hauled, and which appeared like a gap fro west, led clear to the northward of the two fathom patch

We steered across East by South 1/2 South for the le's poop (height 15 feet) at the distance of five ht of the land, fore, with a knob or lump on its south extreme Some five or six htly supposed to be the Wizard Hills of Captain King, whilst the lue being Moresby's Flat-topped Range As we neared thes, after leaving the island, deepened quickly to 30 and 35 fathoms Six miles from it the depth decreased to 23 fatho North-North-West a mile an hour The space between the Abrolhos and the 's shi+p, the first that ever passed through (AD 1680)

The chief object of the Beagle's visit to the e, before spoken of as reported at Swan River to be under the south-west end of Moresby's Flat-topped Range The favourable account which Captain Grey had given of the country behind the range hbourhood of vast iover to the Abrolhos, which he places some five miles toohim, as indeed it at first did us The reef off the south-west end, however, he has rightly fixed

April 9

At daylight the shi+p was in 24 fathorees East As we neared the shore, steering North-East by Northa low point, running out west froe, fronted by heavy breakers, particularly to the north-west Behind, the water was quite se We passed round the reef in 13 1/2 fathoms, at the distance of a half, and three-quarters of a mile; but we did not haul into the bay until so not less than four and a half fatho east The s the north-west extrerees East, leads clear to the ard of the reef Between this and the north point of the bay the water occasionally lifts suspiciously Inside the depth is regular, five and six fathoms, fine white sand

CHAMPION BAY

To this anchorage was given the na it froeneral at Swan River, who visited it in the Colonial schooner We anchored early in the forenoon in four fathorees East five rees West one rees West also one rees East, three-quarters of a mile Immediately under the last- that spot in latitude 28 degrees 47 ree 9 e of very white sandhills lay a quarter of a mile to the eastward

ELEVATION OF THE HILLS

A plan of the bay was hts taken; Mount Fairfax proving to be 585 feet, and Wizard Peak 700 feet

I regretted there was not tiot a glihbourhood The sides of the high lands look fertile over the sandhills of the bay; but through a spy-glass I found that they had a brown arid appearance and were destitute of timber

I was forcibly struck with the resee on the Victoria, Cape Flattery on the north-east coast, and Ithe coast range at the head of the Australian Bight The great si between 500 and 700 feet, is still reat resemblance between opposite portions of the Australian continent before the reader, I have inserted sketches of those parts which were seen in the Beagle

The beach in the south corner of Cha seldom visited by a surf, it is possible that a sales, which the anchorage is exposed to, and which, therefore, can only be considered safe in the summer season Five miles to the southward of Point Moore there is another bay, which appearedwinds The shore between is rocky with outlying reefs

LEAVE CHAMPION BAY