Volume II Part 38 (2/2)
(Footnote Steaapore would require three vessels of six hundred tons, one of which should leave Sydney and Singapore on the 1st of each ines should be of 200 horse-power, and furnished with tubular boilers, which consume a fifth less fuel than the others; they must carry at the least 200 tons, which, at the rate of 14 tons per die, in which time, at the rate of 7 knots an hour, 2,352 miles will have been traversed, which is about 100 ton, and about 420 apore This clearly shows that Port Essington is, as I have before stated, the best place for a coal-depot; and that one there would suffice for the whole line of communication As, moreover, it is necessary that such a station should have protection against the natives, it further enhances the value of the settleht be economically made, from the cheapness and abundance of coals in New South Wales; and the nuton in ballast would be glad of the freight so far The cost of steam vessels of the size mentioned would be about 20,000 pounds, if built of wood, and 16,000 pounds, if of iron; and the annual expense of running one would be between 3,000 and 4000 pounds)
(Footnote On this inshore track steamers would be able to replace ood any deficiency in their fuel I take this opportunity of saying that vessels carrying troops from Sydney to India should be co uson sailed froiiven hie The next nee heard of her was, that she had been wrecked on the outer Barrier at four in thebeen taken since the previous noon, by which theythem to the northward
Fortunately, another shi+p was in coreat The fact that the lives of so many souls should be placed at the mercy of careless masters of shi+ps, who run such risks, in spite of the warnings of experience, deserves the serious attention of Government)
NEW GUINEA
The part of New Guinea above alluded to, which had often afforded us thespeculation, also formed part of the survey of Captain Blackwood, rites as follows: ”On the coast of New Guinea we found a delta of fine rivers, and a nu a rich and fruitful country It is true that we found the inhabitants very hostile; but it must be considered that ere the first Europeans that they had ever seen; and I have no doubt that, on a further acquaintance, and convinced of our power, they ht be easily conciliated Their houses, arree of civilization, and no sence in the construction of their canoes; and I think it probable that a trade ht be opened with this hitherto perfectly unknown people and country” The people inhabiting the islands fronting the coast, Captain Blackwood found to be highly inclined to trade, readily bartering a valuable species of tortoise-shell for European articles of hardware
(Footnote See Nautical Magazine for Dece our stay at Sydney we also met HMS Favourite, Captain TR
Sullivan, just returned fro succeeded in rescuing the guns that were lost from the shi+p in a melancholy and ataboo, previous to the command of Captain Sullivan, whose adventure in this affair was very interesting, and cleverly ed
HURRICANE
The Favourite had experienced a hurricane off Mangaia Island, the natives of which gave notice of its approach; and at Tahiti Captain Sullivan was also told that heFroators, it appears that rotatory gales are prevalent in the Pacific as well as in the Indian Ocean
(Footnote Although this hurricane has been noticed, and the Favourite's Log published in the Nautical Magazine, I think it will be useful to continue the practice of entering into so every hurricane that came under my observation This storaia, one of the Harvey Isles, lying about midway between the Society and Hapai Groups The Favourite was in latitude 21 degrees 58 rees 02 aia, at noon on the 17th Dece West by South 1/2 South before a ale from East-North-East, with cloudy rainy weather At 3 PM she had gone 27 ale, veering to North-East, the course before it was now South-West; but at the end of another hour, having run eight ain to the eastward, the shi+p was brought to the wind on the port tack under a main trysail For the hours 5 and 6, she headed froive for the direction of the wind about South-East by East At 630 a man ashed aith the lee quarter-boat At 8, the wind had veered to South by West, having blown a hurricane, with constant rain for the last hour; at 9a clean sweep over the decks
By ale; but still veering had reached the West-South-West point, and at 3 the nextonly a moderate breeze from West-North-West, with tolerably clear weather Sail was now made, and a South-West by South course held for 28 rees 1 rees 44the hurricane the as moderate from the ard; and on that previous to it of about the sath from the northward The shi+p's position at noon of the latter day was about 130 aia Island The duration of this storht, in which eight hours the wind had veered gradually fro much more rapid between 8 and 9 PM
when the storht, the shi+p must at that time, have been nearer the focus The tack on which the Favourite was hove to carried her into the course of the hurricane, or rather placed her in a position to be overtaken by it, as it passed along to the southward and ard; but as the shi+p broke off to the ard and northward, she fell out of its north-western edge Doubtless, if a West-North-West course had been pursued in the first instance, or at noon on the 17th, the Favourite would have avoided the storretted that the barometer was broken in the co been falling for so in the unusually gloomy lurid appearance of the sky; the weather also was misty, with showers of rain as the shi+p approached the course of the stor Sydney, we resumed our work to the southward; and towards the end of October anchored under Swan Island, lying midway on the south side of Banks Strait, which trends West by North, with a width of twelve th of seventeen, and a depth of from 16 to 25 fathoms; it is for to the south of Flinders Barren Island, one of the latter, has a reh rounded hills on the north-western; it is twenty-twoin an east and west direction It is separated from Flinders by a channel, which I named after Sir John Franklin, four miles wide, thickly streith islands and shoals The eastern entrance is al off five e island (called by us after the Vansittart, but known to the sealers by the na only a narrow, shi+fting passage of 2 and 4 fathoms between their northern side and Flinders Island The anchorages which lie in the western part of Franklin Channel are not so sheltered as those between Barren and Clarke Islands The latter has two rounded su a saddle, either fro an elevation of 2,550 feet, rise immediately over the northern point of the west entrance of Franklin Channel
BLACK REEF
The north-east extreularly loith a coastline of sandhills Out of this level tract rise Mounts Williahest of a group of peaks, cresting a ridge, whilst the foruide for craft in working through the strait When it bears South by West, vesselsthen past the Black Reef, and the rocks that lie off the coast to the eastward, as far as Eddystone Point The e's Rocks, a cluster of grey granite boulders, 66 feet high; a patch of moored kelp, however, on which the water sometimes breaks, lies three miles East-South-East froer on the northern side of the eastern entrance of the strait is Moriarty Bank, which extends off four miles and a half east from the south-east point of Clarke Island; there is, however, a narrow passage of 16 fathoms close to the latter This Bank, which has a couple of rocks near its north-eastern part, is steep to, andthe south point of Clarke Island, to bear to the southward of West 12 degrees North Mount Williarees West clears the outer end of it
(Footnote This reef is a low, dark, rocky islet, with reefs extending off North 45 degrees West three quarters of a e of 7 fathoh which the highest St George's Rock, bearing South 52 degrees East, leads Black Reef bears frorees West, six miles and a half, and froht miles and three-quarters Mount Williarees West)
I reat, as all the trade between Hobart, Launceston, and Port Phillip, passes through it
SWAN ISLAND
Swan Island is a narrow hu South-West by West; the loftiest part, 90 feet high, near the north end, was selected by Sir John Franklin for the site of a lighthouse, the foundation of which he laid, after resigning the reins of government; it was the last benefit he was able to confer on the colony
(Footnote In latitude 40 degrees 43 rees 5 rees 10 minutes 10 seconds East of Greenwich; variation, 10 east)
A well of indifferent water was found near the north-west end of the island; and sos, to which I added a third
Two small islets lie one erous patch of rocks, one and a quarter North-West by West froe island by shoal water