Volume II Part 42 (1/2)
At William Town: 1 hour 0 minutes
Under Arthur's Seat: 1 hour 45 minutes
At Corio Harbour: 2 hours 30 minutes
At the entrance of Port Phillip the rise at springs is only three feet and a half, when the stream makes in at 2 hours 0 minutes It also continues to run out froins to rise by the shore The outward and inward strea from 5 to 5 1/2 hours' duration, whereas the former is from 6 to 6 1/2 and 7 The outward streath of nearly 7 knots, and when opposed to a southerly gale, causes a sea dangerous to sales heap the water up in all parts of the bay, particularly at William Town in the northern corner On such occasions there is scarcely any fall of tide perceptible near the entrance; the outward stream is then also much weaker In the West Channel the flood and ebb-streams have a velocity of from 1 to 2 1/2 knots; but in the south it seldo to Corio harbour there is scarcely any streah the channel over the bar at the latter the flood runs nearly three quarters of a knot Outside the entrance the ebb sets between South by East and South-South-West for seven th is weakened to about a knot; from thence it trends more westerly towards the mouth of the Strait)
CAPE PATTERSON
Five and seven miles to the ard of Cape Patterson there are two rivulets, near the former of which an inferior kind of coal crops out; it occurs in beds of the carboniferous series Between the two headlands above ht six miles deep, at the head of which is Anderson's Inlet, six miles in extent, full of mud banks, and available for boats only A river, called Toluncan by the natives, empties itself into the head of it
(Footnote The observations on the tides at this place e days 1 hour 10 minutes, when the rise is 8 feet The stream in the main channel runs upwards of 2 knots, and off the North-East end of Grant Island it h-water; this difference is to be attributed to the flood entering round both ends of the island)
Fros across the Strait to Circular Head, the greatest depth ement, we met the Vansittart Bad weather had prevented Mr Forsyth froericultural Coreat attention The new syste lands, recently adopted by this Co well; and it certainly appeared to be a very fairtheir lands occupied
DIRECTIONS FOR THE WESTERN ENTRANCE OF Bass STRAIT
(Footnote My intention of getting sos in the western entrance of Bass Strait was frustrated; but as I have entered into detail respecting the eastern entrance, I am induced to devote so a repetition of such terrible catastrophes as the late wreck of the Cataraqui on the western side of King Island The western entrance, formed by the islands off the north-west point of Tasmania and the projection on the Australian continent called Cape Otway, is 108nearly midway, occupies 35 miles of this space, and leaves to the north of it a passage of 47 miles in width, and to the south one of 37 miles The latter, however, is impeded by Reid's Rocks, the Conway and Bell sunken rocks, with Albatross Island and the Black Pyramid; the tide also sets across it at the rate of from one to three knots, as I have already mentioned in the first volu Island and Cape Otway is ranite boulders, with deep water between, one lying North 74 degrees West three rees West, nearly fourIsland, Cape Wickhah, over it
The southern Harbinger is a few feet only out of the water, and the other scarcely awash These, with the Navarin Rock, lying North 25 degrees West, onehalf a ers in this entrance
Masters of vessels should endeavour, if possible, to hbourhood of Cape Otway; but if the weather be thick they et into sixty fathorey sand; in the same depth, with a rocky bottom, shi+ps will be to the southward, and off the west side of King Island, which, as I have before described, is a rocky dangerous coast There is a doubtful position of a sunken rock, ten miles West 1/2 North of the south point, which is low and rocky, and in latitude 40 degrees 10 rees 58 rees 35 rees 59 1/2 rees 51 rees 35 1/2Sydney, to which these longitudes refer, to be in 151 degrees 16 minutes East
Various opinions have been expressed as to the best position for a lighthouse at this entrance of the Strait, so Cape Wickham; others, Cape Otway I, however, hold to the latter, for this sihbourhood of the Harbinger Rocks and the western side of King Island If a light were erected on Cape Wickha for it should be to the southward of her position, she would risk sharing the fate of the Cataraqui, unless ret to say, in ht were on Cape Otway, a shi+p to the southward of her position would have the Strait open to run through, and to the northward, would discover her error, by falling in with the land The lead, also, would infor 30 fathoms ten miles from the land thirty-five miles to the ard of Cape Otway; the trend of the coast besides is too westerly to make it a lee shore
(Footnote In consequence of a letter of mine that appeared in the Times, the owners of the Cataraqui have co that they have reason to believe the Beagle's chart of Bass Strait was a those hich the shi+p was furnished, and that with regard to leads and lines she ell supplied)
From the middle of the entrance between Cape Wickharey sand, and in latitude 39 degrees 13 rees 48 minutes East, the course to the entrance of Port Phillip, is North-East 1/2 North seventy s will be found, at first, to decrease rapidly, and in the parallel of Cape Otway the depth will be 47 fatho the quality of the bottom off this part of the coast will be found in the first volume
A South-East 1/2 East course 176 miles, from the same position, will take a shi+p to Port Dalrymple In the first twenty-nine s will have decreased to nearly 30 fathoms, and the shi+p's place should be then abreast of the North-East end of King Island, distant ten ht of this and, further on, of the Hunter Group, which should be passed at a distance of 20 ht allowance has been iven in this note, the tidal influence has not been noticed; but I have above noticed the direction of the streams, and the allowance to be made will of course depend on what streaain, from the same position, an east course, 136 miles, will place a shi+p four s will be found to decrease to 40 fatho Island, and will continue within a fathom or two of that depth for the remainder of the distance
Two hundred and four miles from the above position, on a North-East 1/4 East course, will take a shi+p to abreast of Cape Howe, distant twenty an and Kent Groups, distant nearly nine htthe latter group, attention should be paid to the set of the tides; as with the flood-streaed to pass on the south side of it Cape Howe bears frorees East, 170 ets into 30 fathoms she will be within 8 miles of the North-East side of these islands; and on the opposite she will have that depth half the distance off
It only now re Island It is high-water on the full and change days at 1 o'clock; the streains to set to the South-West three hours and a half before high-water, running with a velocity of froer Rocks, however, it sweeps round to the South-South-West, someti alluded to the entrance south of King Island in an earlier part of the work, and as it is a passage I do not reco it, further than to say that if a shi+p is obliged to enter Bass Strait by that entrance, she should keep to the southward of Reid's Rocks, passing close to the Black Pyrarees 28 rees 18 1/2North-East 3/4 East, which would keep shi+ps clear of the Conway and Bell sunken rocks, the forrees West from it The cross set of the tides should be particularly borne in th, which is soins at 3 PM
on the full and change days, or three hours and a half before high-water
The depth in the south entrance varies from 35 to 38 fathoms
I shall perhapsthat January and February are the best h Bass Strait; although easterly winds blow on soales, and generally ter ale, one of which I have described in an early part of the work The gales that chiefly prevail in this Strait begin at North-North-West, and gradually draw round by West to South-West, at which point they subside; but if the wind, before it has so ain to the northward of west--or backs, as it is expressed--the gale will continue; but its duration isters less than 2995, and bad weather is certain if it falls to 2970
NB The courses reco the work)
Our anchorage this tiular natural fortification I have before described; and whilst there ere placed in soale froood, and a strong outset sweeping out of the bay round the south side of the head, lessened the strain on the cables The sudden appearance of this breeze, and the manner in which it was succeeded by another from the ard, afforded additional evidence of how necessary it is for anchorages in this strait to be sheltered from both quarters A jetty, which has been run out by the Coh-water for vessels of nine and ten feet draught
On the 20th of January, having made a valuable set of tidal and other observations, and arranged with Mr Forsyth to meet hi passed half a mile froht-coloured h From thence we steered towards Cape Frankland, the North-West point of Flinders Island, which we had still to exaradually to 26 fathoms within two miles and a half to the West-North-West of it We could see nothing of the sunken rock said to lie two miles west froone over the spot, it has been ainst it