Volume II Part 14 (1/2)

In a line between the outer reefs of the two groups the depth was 36 fathoms; a mile and a half further in we had 29; but outside it deepened off suddenly to no bottom with 70, and in twowe tried for bottom with 250; but, as has been already mentioned, without success Outside the reef we felt a current setting a ain we passed close round the north-west end of the reef encircling Pelsart Group, in 31 fathoms, and anchored in 17, just without a line of discoloured water, which we found to have 5 fathooon; the largest island bearing South by West one mile and three-quarters

GUN ISLAND DUTCH REMAINS

April 24

In thethe boats were despatched on their ordinary work, and Captain Wickhaest island, a quarter of athe north-western extreme of Pelsart Group, and which we na on it a sular construction, now deposited in the United Service Museum (see the cut annexed) with quantities of orna was in a wonderful state of preservation; a nulass bottles and pipes, and two Dutch doits, bearing date 1707 and 1720

This was a very interesting discovery, and left no doubt that we had found the island on which the crew of the Zeerecked, in 1727, and where they reot to sea by the passage between Easter and Pelsart Groups, which has consequently been called Zeewyk Passage The scene of their disaster must have been on the outer reef, awhich ran a white ridge of high breakers

The glass bottles I have mentioned were of a short stout Dutch build, and were placed in rows, as if for the purpose of collecting water; so five or six gallons; they were in part buried in the sand, and the portion which was left exposed to the air presented a singular appearance, being covered with a white substance that had eaten away the glaze A number of seal bones were noticed on this island; and I have no doubt they are the remains of those that were killed by the crew of the Zeewyk for their subsistence On the north end of the island was a hole containing brackish water; e dug it deeper the salt water poured in The next small islet to the East-South-East we discovered to be that on which the Dutchmen had built their sloop On the west side of it was a spot free fro the the bark which ultimately carried them in safety to Batavia

A mile and a half to the southward of Gun Island, opposite a singular-looking indentation in the outer side of the reefs, a small cluster of cliffy islets approaches within half a roup--larger than Gun Island, lying in the centre of the lagoon, and the only one not visited by the Beagle's boats--water should have been found by a party who came from Swan River to save the wreck of a shi+p lost in 1843, close to the spot on which the Batavia struck o This island is called in the chart Middle Island The well is on the south point, and the water, which is very good, rises and falls with the tide Doubtless this must have been the island on which the crew of Pelsart's shi+p found water, though for so its ebb and flow, from which they inferred it would prove salt

The north point of Gun Island, which our observations placed in latitude 28 degrees 53 ree 53 minutes 35 seconds West of Swan River, is fronted for half a mile by a reef

MANGROVE ISLETS

The shi+p was now oon, to which we crossed in 17 fathoms--the depth we anchored in, a mile north-west froroves, from which they receive their naoon, as far as a square-looking island, was 15 and 16 fathoms The north extreme of the south island lay three rove Islets, by which we found that its length was nearly ten eneral width of about a tenth of a rove Islets was a e flat pieces of dead coral, of the sa a fan, strewed over a limestone foundation one foot above the level of the sea, in the greatest possible confusion, to the height of five feet In walking over them they yielded a metallic sound

Pelsart, like Easter Group, isa mile off its north-east extreme

May 3

We fetched in under the Lee of Easter Group as the north-west gale of thiscoale, falling with it, and acting as in those we had encountered at Swan River

SINGULAR SUNSET

The sunset of the two days preceding had presented a very lurid appearance, and the most fantastically shaped clouds had been scattered over the red western sky It seeh nature had deter views Headlands and mountains with cloud-capped pinnacles appeared and faded away; shi+ps under sail floated across the sky; towers and palaces reared their forms indistinctly amid the vapour, and then vanished, like the baseless fabric of a dream

The winds since the 29th had been very easterly; but early on the 1st becanant suspicious cal the forenoon of the 2nd At noon the glassy surface of the water began to darken here and there in patches with the first sighing of the breeze, which soon became steady at north-west, and troubled the whole expanse as far as the eye could reach

HEAVY GALE

It was not, however, as I have said, before daylight of the 3rd that the gale coreat violence, accompanied with heavy squalls of rain, till noon next day, when the wind had veered to South-South-West During this tied; immense dark banks of clouds rested on the contracted horizon; the coral islands by which ere surrounded loo mist; and the decks were drenched by heavy showers that occurred at intervals The wind blew hardest froan to ot round to south-west The current during this breeze set a ain to the northward as the wind veered round to the southward This clearly sho certainly, in this neighbourhood, the movements of the air influence those of the sea

WATER-SPOUTS

It was the evening of the 5th before all was again clear overhead In the , however, we shi+fted our berth, which had been a mile from the south extre the north-east end of Easter Group Several small water-spouts forh, which induced us to wait a little until they passed

On the 8th we bore away for the northern group in 26 and 27 fathoe

WALLABY ISLANDS

Passing outside of a patch of breakers, lying two miles to the northward of the eastern islet, we hauled up south-east, and by feeling our ith the boats got the shi+p into a snug harbour on the south-east side of the highest island of the Abrolhos, which was afterwards nae one, na two miles to the West-South-West with three save the na found there in great numbers The harbour we na fresh supplies of the saroo, in addition to the fish found everywhere else Like the other ports in the Abrolhos, it is full of coral patches; the south point of north Pigeon Island, in one with a bare sandhill on the South-East point of West Wallaby Island, bearing South 50 degrees West, leads into the harbour clear of the spit on the north-west side and so we had 7 and 8 fathoms, but the depth inside is 11 and 12; it is perfectly sheltered on all sides

These islands, after the others, of which the greatest height is 12 feet, appear of considerable altitude; though the loftiest point rising on the north-east extreme of East Wallaby Island, measures no more than 50 feet

This island is upwards of a mile each hilst the west one is two , and one broad In the centre of the eastern is a low flat, with hills rising all around, with the exception of the south side

FLAG HILL