Volume II Part 19 (1/2)

Although our exploration in this neighbourhood did not lead to our finding any of the land fertile, yet froive to this part of the coast, the necessity of the Beagle's visit will be evident Our object had been satisfactorily attained, inas Ritchie's Reef, and the long-lost Tryal Rocks We had also been so fortunate as to add to the stores of natural history a new kangaroo and two kinds of wallaby, besides a large water-snake

RITCHIE'S REEF

Septe, and passing round the north side, soon caht of Clerke's, alias Ritchie's Reef It was our intention to have gone round the northern end of it, but the tide setting two knots an hour forced us to the southward In a line midway between it and Tremouille the depth was 17 and 20 fatho, in a north-east and south-west direction, and onepartly dry Two miles and a half South-West by West of it we crossed a patch of 13 fathoms, with 22 and 25 fatho South 62 degrees East fourteen ht of froht us again in with the land; and in the evening we tacked in six fathoms, three miles and a half to the northward of Thevenard Island, which we found to be connected with a reef we discovered in theeleven miles North by East from it; inside this reef the water looked deep and s east and west, about three rees 26 rees 54 minutes East From the number of islands I saw to the south of Thevenard, I think the reef continues to Maison Island, near the North-west Cape The outer one, seen frorees 31 rees 42 minutes East I myself believe the whole extent from Maison to Barrow's Island is occupied by islets and reefs, probably all connected We know, in fact, fro, that a reef extends sixteen miles off the south end of Barrow's Island

RESULT OF SOUNDINGS

Seventeen miles in a North-West by North direction fro deepened gradually from six fatho to the North-East we had 68 fathoms three miles West by South of that position, and 111 fathoms six miles North-West of it; beyond this no bottom was found with 120 and 150 fatho table is the result of other outer soundings obtained in the Beagle, showing how far the bank of soundings extends off the Western coast of Australia

COLUMN 1: LAtitUDE SOUTH (DEGREES, MINUTES)

COLUMN 2: DEPTH IN FATHOMS

COLUMN 3: QUALITY OF BOTTOM

COLUMN 4: DISTANCE FROM NEAREST LAND

32 02 : 70 : Fine white sand and rock : Rottnest or Garden Island 20 rey sand : Main abreast 34 rey sand : Main abreast 39 rey sand : South point of Shark's Bay 37 miles

21 14 : 111 : Fine white sand : Thevenard Island 25 miles

20 00 : 150 : Fine white sand : Tremouille Island 35 miles

It would thus appear that a shi+p in less than 110 fathoms off the west shore of the continent would be within forty miles of the land; and nearly the sa it, when in about 200 fathorees 50 rees 10 s extends further off the North-west coast, as eighty-five miles north of Depuch Island we had only 75 fathoms, fine white sand In a south direction from that position the water shoaled rapidly to 40 fathoradually afterwards to 15 fathoms in fifty miles This slope of the bank was deter to the ard)

RETURN TO SWAN RIVER

The gli between Barrow's Island and the North-west Cape, was quite unexpected, as the next land we had intended seeing an River After rounding the North-west Cape, we had the usual southerly winds, but a strong breeze frorees 40 rees 25us on the 27th to an anchorage under the east end of Rottnest Island, where we found a current sweeping round to the southward, at the rate of nearly a knot an hour There had not been any previously felt; but in latitude 30 degrees South and longitude 110 degrees East, two days before the north-wester, it set two knots to the northward; another instance of how entirely the currents are governed by the winds off this coast

NATIVE TALENT

Our Swan River native had not obtained so much inforo Still he had made the most of what he saw; and his visit to Timor crowned all The facility and rapidity hich he could ht choose as the subject of his poetical fancy, was very a; he must have equalled ood idea of where the shi+p had been since leaving Swan River, in his head The drawings of his countryreatly hurt his vanity, whilst they excited his eet hold of paper or pencil, he was trying to excel them, which, from the improvement hethe ti vocabulary was ton have been furnished by Mr Earl

COLUMN 1: ENGLISH

COLUMN 2: PORT ESSINGTON

COLUMN 3: SWAN RIVER

Crow : - : Woordang

Eo

shags : - : Mere

Kangaroo : Abbugi : Yewart

Fearoo : - : Waroo

Wallaby: - : Wallyo

Bandicoot or rat : - : Condee

Very stail possue possum : - : Goo : Nukakoin : Dudah

The tail : - : Diar

Black swan : - : Coolecha

Duck : Cormoro : Oonanah

Mountain duck : - : Kooracha

Wopie : - : Gooraba