Volume II Part 37 (1/2)
Leaving, we again spent several days under a close-reefed th reached an anchorage on the eastern shore of Flinders Island within the north-east side of a granitic lump called Babel Islet The flood tide cae, which can only be used in easterly winds There is a curious dome on the inner side of Babel, which is connected by a sandy spit with the large island Within the eastern point of the latter are the re out of a scrubby plain, oons, which forms the character of this side of Flinders We were enabled to fix the eastern shore of the island, from Babel Islet and the outer Patriarch, whence the vieas coe of bare-topped hills lies to the west, whilst to the south-west, through a h peaks, which I named after my friend Count Strzelecki A heathy valley stretches across the island to the ard, through which I saw the sea on the opposite side; on the northern part the hills are more rounded and lower
TO KENT GROUP
Fro, in 11 or 12 fatho the eastern shore of Flinders Island, where we discovered a dangerous sandy spit extending five miles off; from its extrerees West, six ed in a violent squall to the ard, and gave us a long beat of a day to reach Kent Group, during which we discovered a reef, just awash at high-water, and bearing East 8 degrees South, five le's Reef)
(Footnote A pyra a cutter under sail)
This, Endeavour Reef, and a sunken rock, about a ers between Kent Group and Flinders The extreht's Rock and Craggy Island, bethich shi+ps should not pass, although there is a channel close to the south side of the former It should also be particularly borne in mind that the tides, which here sometimes run two knots, set rather across the channel South-West by South and North-East by North
The north-easterly streae of the le passed half a ht's Rock, in 29 fatho to-and-fro between it and Kent Group, in thebetween the islands called Murray Pass, e steered towards it The weather, for the season, was fine; and the sun, although weak, shone brightly froh happened for the last tile!
The sea, still vexed and chafing frorandeur on the stor the shi+p nearer towards the al
Her motions, however, as if she was conscious of the fate that threatened her, were sluggish and slow, and she seeht southerly breeze that aided her progress Indeed there appeared to be an opposing tide until we drew in between the high rocky sides of the channel, when suddenly the shi+p was hurried onwards with such rapidity that to prevent our being swept past a cove on the right it was necessary to close with its outer point, towards which athe shi+p's head so rapidly, that before the thrown-aback sails checked her way, her jib-boo the feful moht was heard but the din of waters that foaiddy whirl Still, it must be confessed, that our hearts sickened within at the thought that our little bark, after having braved so ht be left to whiten a foreign shore with her timbers Providence, however, decreed it should be otherwise; and the nextoff fro exposed to the swell, she was again driven in towards the point, and so close, that before the well-triave her way, as her stern went doith the swell, the assurance that sheframe To myself, the sensation was just as if my feet were under the keel; and I al to hope, which can find a place even in the narrowest interval of danger; and our eyes and hearts were lifted up in supplication to Him who had already so miraculously reprieved us
Scarcely, however, had the prayer been formed and preferred, when the peril was past: in the course of an hour ere safely moored in East Cove, Kent Group
(Footnote See the view annexed)
LIGHTHOUSE HILL
In this wild and confined anchorage ere detained by constant westerly gales for a fortnight, during the whole of which there was only one really clear day, when I got angles to all the distant points froroup, nine hundred and ten feet high and quite precipitous on its seaward face We nahthouse Hill, its ad the purpose to which it , moreover, are all at hand
DEAL ISLAND
The principal islands of Kent Group have been named Deal and Erith; they occupy a square of four miles, and are separated by Murray Pass, a channel half a ranitic hills, in some cases clothed to their very summits with an impervious scrub, are scattered over them
On Deal, the eastern isle, there are charred stue eucalypti: but otherwise the trees are s a few casuarinas over the head of East Cove The valleys on the north side are rich; and in one leading from Garden Cove we found a quantity of fine carrots, planted by some sealers; their seed had been carried by the wind until the whole valley was filled with them; fresh water also is abundant on that side of Deal Island; and as limestone crops out at the head of East Cove, a seously e the soil By holding out to theht be brought under cultivation, and supply grain, potatoes, etc, for the consu the convicts would also be beneficial in producing a change for the better in theether they are certainly more likely to brood mischief
ERITH ISLAND
Besides East Cove there are others on the north-east and south-east sides of Deal Island; whilst on Erith there is only one called West Cove, in the north part of Murray Pass; it is subject to violent gusts that do not reach East Cove
The forular, the calcareous li two hundred feet above the sea and between granite; whilst on Erith vesicular lava was found These islands are connected with Flinders by a sand ridge, on which the depth is 28 and 30 fathoms; but the islets and rocks betould appear, from the evidence of upheaval we have just cited, to be elevated portions of a subed piece of land about to disclose itself
(Footnote The observations on the tides at these islands e of the ht feet The streaes to the northward twenty h-water)
In a valley behind East Cove there was a streae to say was quite salt and cahbourhood I turned loose about a dozen rabbits for the benefit of any unfortunate voyagers who ry ashore in this locality
During the few days that ere there they appeared to thrive very well, and I have no doubt that if not disturbed the island will soon be overrun with the no wallabies to offer molestation
HOGAN GROUP
We were not sorry to find ourselves one fine le's many narrow escapes; so favourable did the weather continue, that, although in the first week in June, ere able to pass both the following nights at anchor in the middle of the strait; on the first occasion between the Devil's Tower and Curtis's Island; and on the second, five ladly seized these opportunities of ascertaining exactly the set of the tides At the first anchorage they ran East-North-East and South-East only fro half an hour before loater at Kent Group; at the second the tide set North-East by East, one knot, and South-South-West a knot and a half; the southerly streaan one hour and a half after loater at Kent Group: on both occasions there was a light westerly wind