Volume II Part 33 (1/2)
October 17
In theunder a low sandhill, sixty feet high, bearing South by East six rees 0 rees 40 minutes East This was found to stand on a projection, with two small rocky islets on either side Eastward frorove bays, formed the character of the coast; whilst in the opposite direction extended a bay, fifteen nised the sandhills seen on our visit to this part in July, 1840; the shores of this great bay were fronted for some distance by shoal water
Behind Mount Blaze the country aradually rose, and on the bearing of South 7 degrees East, distant nearly fifteen miles, were seen conical-sided flat-topped hills about two hundred feet high This was the first re the two hundred le; it appears to be the North-East terh land seen southward fro aniround in the vicinity of Mount Blaze, that at each step we sunk in knee-deep; a few quails were shot, but no varieties of birds were seen beyond what had been already observed at the other points of the coast visited
Weighing, we stood to the ard, aftera short stretch to the north-east; but shoal water, at the end of six e in the direction of the flood- tide, from westerly to northerly, did not leave e to the ard At sunset the anchor was dropped in 9 fathoms, with a shoal patch of 5 fathoms two miles to the eastward, Mount Blaze, just visible fro the afternoon we had crossed no less than five lines of ripplings, on which, at loater, there was only from 2 to 5 fathoms
October 19
After the noon observation another attee to the ard; but at the end of eighteen s and breakers The western sandhills, seen yesterday, bore at this time South by East fifteen miles Two-thirds of the distance from the shore was a continued line of broken water
Finding, by sounding with the boats, that there was no passage for the shi+p, we retraced our track east; and in the evening anchored again in 7 fathoes of 4
AMPHINOME SHOALS
The outer breaker of the Arees West three rees 41 rees 24 hteen erous
BEDOUT ISLAND
Next evening we anchored off the east side of Bedout Island, having, in the , nineteen miles to the east of it and twenty-two froe of 5 fathoms
October 21
We spent the day on Bedout, the centre of which we found to be in latitude 19 degrees 35 rees 08 minutes 45 seconds East It is a circular sand islet twenty feet high, and half a s and rocks extend nearly three miles; in other parts it is fronted by a circular reef a mile in extent, and of a different kind fro co way readily to the feet, we suddenly found ourselves immersed almost up to our necks; within fifty yards of the island this became worse The reefs and beaches abounded with turtles of two kinds, the Mydas and a species of the Is; but the other birds had hatched theirs, and left for sea, returning only at night Froreat abundance and constant visits they had for the varieties of the feathered tribe was the golden plover
On the following afternoon we stood over, South-South-East for thewithin twelve miles of the nearest part, which was the western point of the bay seen from Mount Blaze Broken water and dry sands extended between south and east, and to the south-west the entrance of Breaker Inlet and other parts of the last year's survey were readily distinguished
October 22
During the forenoon the boats co the shi+p was anchored under the North Turtle Isle Thus terminated the examination of this hitherto unexplored part of the coast, which had been the field of many years' speculation One of the ht feet in the tide, which can only be accounted for by the fact of the water being heaped up in the concavity forht the direction of the flood was from West, and on the latter from West-North-West We had found that no river or other interesting feature existed; and that it was the most dull and uniform portion of the continent we had seen, or that could possibly be iined
BREAKER INLET
While I have no reason to believe that an examination of Breaker Inlet, which, fro the Amphinome Shoals, has probably a considerable outlet, would lead to a discovery of any iret that the heavy surf which breaks across its entrance at this season of the year entirely preventedit
The winds we had experienced on this part of the coast were light, froht, and moderate from North-North-West to West-South-West towards the latter part of the day, thefrequently calht squalls fro, the weather was very fine, the te 82 and the her
EXMOUTH GULF
The necessary chrononetic observations were co of the 26th, when after leaving a paper in a bottle, recording our visit and describing the nature of the coast eastwards, we left with the intention of exploring Ex portion of the north-western shore of the continent that had not been visited by Captain King or ourselves But as ere forced away from the land by southerly winds as we approached the North-West Cape, and as there was no certainty of procuring water, I have been obliged to content myself with the report of a whaler ent in there and found it to be thea vast body of water into the interior, occasionally, I ihbourhood of the north-east shore of Shark's Bay, as Captain Grey speaks of finding there extensive plains of mud and sand, at ti no lie we arrived at Swan River on November 23rd
CHAPTER 212
Reported Harbour
Set out for Australind
The Grass-tree
Correspondence with Mr Clifton, etc
Sail froe Road
Examination of coast
Reach Champion Bay
Visit Mount Fairfax and Wizard Peak
Arid nature of country
Want of water