A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume I Part 14

Stony Head is the extremity of a ridge of hills which branches out from the inland mountains, and stretches across the low, sandy land in front, to the sea. On each side of the ridge there were several smokes, which induced me to suppose the flat lands might contain lakes of fresh water.

The low head, bearing S. 35 W. seemed to be the termination of another branch from the inland mountains; round it there was some appearance of an opening, and at two o'clock, this excited so much hope that I ventured to bear away before the wind. We advanced rapidly with the flood, and at four, had pa.s.sed LOW HEAD and were steering S. E. by S., up an inlet of more than a mile wide. Some shoals, not quite covered, we left on the starbord hand; keeping a straight course for the entrance of a basin or bay, at which the inlet seemed to terminate. This course took us over some strong ripplings of tide, on none of which, however, there was less than 5 fathoms; and so soon as they were pa.s.sed, 13 fathoms did not reach the bottom. After advancing three miles, we approached a low, green island, lying nearly in mid-channel; and being uncertain which was the deepest side, I took the most direct, which lay to the west. From 8 fathoms, the next cast of the lead was 3, and immediately the sloop was aground. Fortunately, the bottom was soft, and the strong flood dragged her over the bank without injury. The water deepened again as quick; and when the channel on the east side of _Green Island_ was open, there was no bottom at 13 fathoms.

We could not but remark the contrast between the sh.o.r.es of this inlet, covered with gra.s.s and wood down to the water's edge, and the rocky sterile banks observed in sailing up Port Jackson: it spoke favourably for the country, and added to the satisfaction we felt in having made the discovery. There was, however, little time for meditation: the tide drove the sloop rapidly onward to the basin; and the evening coming on, I pushed between some dry rocks and a point on the western side, and anch.o.r.ed in 2 fathoms, on a bottom of sand and mud.

There appeared to be three arms, or rivers, discharging themselves into this extensive basin. That which came from the westward., had its _embouchure_ close to the sloop; and Mr. Ba.s.s went off in the boat to look up it. His attention was, however, soon called to another pursuit: a number of black swans were swimming before him, and judging from former experience in Western Port, that several of them were unable to fly, he gave chase with the boat. On his return at dusk, he rejoiced us with the sight of four, and with a promise that we should not be in want of fresh provisions in this port.

Nov. 4. I landed Mr. Ba.s.s with two men, to examine the country, and then commenced a survey of the port by an examination of the _Western Arm_. It is narrow, and has not more in the entrance than 3 fathoms, although, about one mile up, there be 7 near the starbord sh.o.r.e. This arm is not accessible to s.h.i.+ps beyond three miles; and even in that distance there is much more shoal than deep water.

The rocks lying at the entrance of the basin are covered at the top of the flood, but at other times are much frequented by s.h.a.gs. After observing the lat.i.tude and taking bearings there, I went down to Green Island; and the tide being then out, perceived the shoals in Sea Reach to be so numerous and extensive, that it was surprising how the sloop could have reached thus far without striking upon some of them. In the channel to the east of Green Island I found from 7 to 25 fathoms, and both the sides of it steep to; a rock lies in the middle of the pa.s.sage, but at twenty yards from it there was 3 fathoms all round. Green Island is covered with long, coa.r.s.e gra.s.s and bushes, with a few small trees intermixed. The large, noisy gulls frequent it for the purpose of breeding, as do the swans, several of whose deserted nests were found with the broken egg-sh.e.l.ls in them. These were corroborating proofs, that the natives of this part of Van Diemen's Land have not the means of transporting themselves across the water; for Green Island is scarcely two cables length from the sh.o.r.e.

In returning to the sloop, I took off Mr. Ba.s.s and his party, together with a kangaroo weighing between eighty and ninety pounds, which he had shot out of a considerable flock. Our fresh provisions were still further increased by an addition of six swans, caught this evening with the boat.

Nov. 5 was employed in the survey of the Western Arm, and searching, but in vain, for the means of conveniently replenis.h.i.+ng our water casks. Next morning we steered across the basin., and sought to anchor under an island which, from its situation at the entrance of the eastern arm, was called _Middle Island_; but there not being a sufficient depth of water behind it, the course was continued up the eastern arm, in 10 or more fathoms water, for two or three miles; when we anch.o.r.ed upon a five-fathom bank, near a small cove on the northern sh.o.r.e. On landing, a little stream was found descending from the hills into the south-east corner of the cove, and in the middle was a gully with several deep holes in it full of excellent water: this last, though not accessible till half flood, was the most convenient for our purpose.

There were many recent traces of natives on the sh.o.r.e; and after returning to the sloop, we saw, on the opposite side of the arm a man who employed or amused himself by setting fire to the gra.s.s in different places. He did not stay to receive us, and we rowed down to Middle Island where a smoke was rising. The natives shunned us there also; for soon after landing, I saw three of them walk up from the shoal which joins Middle Island to the opposite low, sandy point. The party appeared to consist of a man, a woman, and a boy; and the two first had something wrapped round them which resembled cloaks of skins.

The gently-sloping hills of Middle Island afford about forty acres of pasture land, well covered with gra.s.s, and thinly wooded. No fresh water was seen, but it might probably be obtained by digging. This island is little frequented by aquatic birds, from the circ.u.mstance of its being accessible, at low water, to the inhabitants of the main.

Nov. 7. Mr. Ba.s.s and myself landed on the south sh.o.r.e upon our respective pursuits. The sandy point at the back of Middle Island was particularly favourable to the survey; and a base of sixty-six chains measured round it, with the concomitant angles, enabled me to connect the eastern arm with the basin. The sloop had been completed with water in the morning, and was ready to proceed in continuation of the voyage; but the width of the arm, the depth of water in it, and strength of the tides, were too strong indications of a river of extensive course for me to be able to quit it without some further examination.

(Atlas, Pl. VII.)

A rainy gale from the eastward did not allow of moving until Nov. 9th; we then got under way with the flood tide, and beat up the first, or _Long Reach_, against a south-east wind. Abreast of _Point Rapid_ (see the chart), where the river turned sharp round to the south-west, I went away in the boat to examine the upper end of Long Reach; but the haste required in following after the sloop, which the tide a.s.sisted in driving fast upward, allowed me to do it but very cursorily. In _Crooked Reach_, I stopped at two places, and measured a short base near _Glen Bight_. The sloop was then lost to view, although the wind had died away; and on reaching _Brush Island_, it was not easy to know which way she had taken, _Round-head Bay_ having as much the appearance of being a continuation of the river, as had _Whirlpool Reach_. This reach stretches south-eastward, and its width is much less than in any of the lower parts of the river, being no more than a short quarter of a mile; but, as might be expected, the depth in it, from 10 to 22 fathoms, is greater, and its borders are steep and rocky. At the end of Whirlpool Reach, the banks of the river opened out so considerably that, from our little boat, it appeared like a sea, the land at the further end being scarcely distinguishable.

Fortunately, we got sight of the sloop in _Anchor Bight_ before it was dark, and carried with us another black swan.

Nov. l0, being under the necessity of going down to Brush Island, to bring the survey up from thence to the position of the sloop, we did not get under way till near noon. The wind was from the westward, and I went forward in the boat to Egg Island, so named from the number of eggs, mostly of the gull and red bill, which were there found. It is small and stony; but covered with gra.s.s, and had not been visited by the natives.

My next station was on the opposite side of the river, upon a low sandy point which is lengthened by a dry shoal. These project out from the general line of the southern sh.o.r.e, and contract the river to less than half a mile; whereas its width above and below, is one mile and a half.

On the east, or lee side of this point and shoal was a flock of swans, in number not less than from three to five hundred; and their cast quills were so intermixed with the sand, as to form a component part of the beach. This countless number of quills gave me an insight into the cause why so many of the swans, though not young birds, were unable to fly: they moult their wing feathers, probably at stated periods, though not, I should think, every year. This sandy projection was named _Swan Point_.

On steering southward from thence, I found that the bight in which this great number of birds had a.s.sembled, was full of shoals producing the long aquatic gra.s.s which forms the princ.i.p.al part, if it be not their sole food. We sailed through the flock, and might have procured a good number, had not the progress of the sloop obliged us to hasten onward to _Shoal Point_: one incautious bird was caught by his long neck as we sailed past him.

The change in the direction of the river, from south-east to south, made the extension of a new base necessary. From the end of Shoal Point, I ran thirty-two chains westward, across a small stream of _fresh water_; and having taken the necessary angles, returned to the sloop, which had then anch.o.r.ed at half a mile from the point, in 4 fathoms. The shoal was dry in the evening, within two cables length of the vessel, and rendered the fresh stream inaccessible to a boat.

The time of our absence from Port Jackson being restricted to the beginning of January, I did not think it advisable to take the sloop any further up the river; but determined, after devoting one day more to an excursion in the boat, to return and proceed along the north coast of Van Diemen's Land, in prosecution of the main object of the voyage.

Nov. 11, Mr. Ba.s.s landed near Shoal Point, to go as far back into the country as the limited time would permit. I steered from thence over to a red bank on the east side of the river, measured a base of seventy nine chains, and took angles from a variety of stations. At the Crescent Sh.o.r.e, the river was contracted to a quarter of a mile in width, the water was half fresh, and the depth across as follows: 1, 3, 5, 8, 8, 12, 11, 6, 4 fathoms at half flood.

The direction of the river, from where the sloop was lying to this part, is nearly S. S. W.; but it then winds round the Crescent Sh.o.r.e, and runs E. S. E. My uppermost station was upon a hill near the water side, at the commencement of this new reach; and from thence the river appeared, at the distance of a mile and a half, to reopen out its banks, and to turn more southward. In an eastern direction, across the wide part, there were three ridges of hills, and beyond them some blue peaks and caps of distant mountains, which I judged to be the same we had seen from Cape Portland; and amongst which the source, or some of the sources of this river most probably arose. The distance of these mountains concurred with the strength of the tides and the depth of water to indicate, that, at the Crescent Sh.o.r.e, the larger half of the river still remained to be explored.*

[* The chart will show from later examinations, how far the river is navigable, and whence its different sources are derived.]

The morning of Nov. 12 was foggy and calm. We rowed the sloop down with the a.s.sistance of the ebb tide, to Round-head Bay, and anch.o.r.ed in 3 fathoms. At high water, the anchor was again weighed; and at dusk, having had a breeze, we reached the five-fathom bank in Long Reach, near Watering Cove. From the upper end of Whirlpool Reach to Point Rapid, I went ahead in the boat and examined all the creeks and gullies on the western sh.o.r.e, for watering places. There were drains of fresh water down some of these, but in none, not even in Glen Bight, was there any accessible to boats.

Nov. 13, we beat down with the ebb tide to Middle Island, and then steered across the basin for the _Middle Arm_, which was yet totally unexplored; but after many ineffectual attempts to find a pa.s.sage over the shoals, we came to, in 5 fathoms, near the s.h.a.g Rocks, and I went to examine the arm with the boat. From _Inspection Head_ I discovered a narrow channel leading into it, where there was more than sufficient depth for s.h.i.+ps; but this arm is altogether of little consequence.

In the evening, it blew a gale of wind from the north-westward, with hail and rain; and the same weather continuing next day, I employed the time in examining Sea Reach. On the 15th, somewhat finer weather enabled us to get down to Outer Cove, a place opposite to Green Island, where there is room for a larger vessel than the Norfolk to ride at single anchor, in 8 fathoms. The head of the cove is shoal, and the stream that falls into it is salt to a greater distance than a boat can go; nor could any accessible fresh water be found in the neighbourhood. _Middle Rock_, so named from its situation in the deep channel between the cove and Green Island, is hidden at half flood. Fine muscles were gathered from it, many of them containing small, discoloured pearls, such as are found in those of Adventure Bay.

From this time to the 20th, the western winds continued to blow strong; and finding, after an ineffectual attempt, that it was impossible to make any progress in the voyage, we remained in port, taking astronomical observations, completing the survey, and examining the country, until a favourable change should take place. At the back of the longest beach near Low Head, and on the same side, I found a deep pool of tolerably good water, at which our casks were again replenished; and when the boat was not employed in this, or other services, the people were sent swan hunting, and never without success.

Nov. 20. The wind having become moderate at north-west, we beat out of the port with the ebb tide; and at one p.m., took a departure from Low Head. The breeze had then veered to E. N. E.; and when we had run nine leagues, a head on the west side of the port bore S. 53 E., and the furthest visible part of the coast was at west: being then dusk, the wind was hauled off sh.o.r.e.

We had rainy weather in the night, and the wind s.h.i.+fted back to W. N. W., and blew a fresh gale. This soon raised a high sea, and reduced us to a close-reefed main sail and jib; nor were we without apprehensions of the sh.o.r.e for the following night, so much did the sloop drive to leeward. On the 22nd at noon the gale was more moderate, the wind at W. by S., and the weather permitted an observation to be taken for the lat.i.tude; it was 40 13', and we had land bearing E. N. E. about three leagues distant. So soon as I had satisfied myself that this could be no other than the hilly land lying five leagues to the northward of the Chappell Isles, we bore away before the sea; and by carrying all sail, secured an anchorage in Hamilton's Road before dark.

It was not safe to move on the 23rd, and there being a lunar eclipse announced in the ephemeris to take place in the following night, I landed to observe it with the telescope of the s.e.xtant. The times at which the beginning and end happened by the watch, being corrected from alt.i.tudes of the stars _Rigel_ and _Sirius_ observed in an artificial horizon, gave 148 37' for the uncorrected longitude of Preservation Island; which is 37' more than was deduced from the lunar distances in the Francis. The penumbra attending the earth's shadow is usually supposed to render this observation uncertain to two or three minutes of time, or more than half a degree of longitude.

Nov. 24. The gale had subsided to a moderate breeze, and we tried to beat back to the westward; but finding too much sea, bore away into Armstrong's Channel to speak the commander of the Nautilus; that, through him, governor Hunter might be informed of our discoveries thus far, and of the delays experienced from the western winds. I was happy to find captain Bishop proceeding successfully in his sealing business, though slower than he might have done, had the anchorage been nearer to the eastern points.*

[* Nine thousand skins of the first quality, with several tons of oil, were procured by the Nautilus, and Furneaux's Islands have since been frequented by small vessels from Port Jackson upon the same errand.

Unfortunately, this species of fishery is soon exhausted in any one place; or it would have been the means of raising up an useful body of seamen, and thus proved of advantage, both to the colony and to the mother country.]

In the evening it fell calm, and the tide being favourable, we rowed back for Hamilton's Road; but a fair breeze springing up when abreast of it, instead of anchoring we made all sail to the west-south-west for Van Diemen's Land.

On the 25th at day-light, the Ninth Island bore south, five miles; the wind had then s.h.i.+fted to N. by W., and blew strong, with rainy weather; and at eight o'clock, it was at N. W. by W., and obliged us to tack offsh.o.r.e. This gale cleared away on the 26th, and at noon our situation was in

Lat.i.tude 40 34' S.

Mount Chappell bore N. E.

Peak of Cape Barren, N. 78 E.

Land taken for Isle Waterhouse, S. 7 E.

We were then steering south-westward again with a fair breeze; but had scarcely pa.s.sed Stony Head, next morning, when another gale sprung up from the north-west. It was a happy circ.u.mstance that we were able to reach our new discovered port, and take refuge at the former secure anchorage near the s.h.a.g Rocks; for this gale was more violent and of longer continuance than any of the preceding. This long succession of adverse winds caused us almost to despair of accomplis.h.i.+ng the princ.i.p.al object of the voyage; for of the twelve weeks, to which our absence from Port Packson was limited, nearly eight were already expired.

Dec. 2. The gale moderated, and we made an attempt to continue the voyage, but were driven back. On the 3rd, the attempt was repeated; and the wind being light, we anch.o.r.ed at the entrance of the port, to prevent losing by the flood what had been gained by the ebb tide. In the evening a fair wind sprung up; and at length, to our great satisfaction, we were enabled to proceed in the discovery of the strait.

The harbour, which we entered with so much pleasure on Nov. 3, and finally quitted with still more on Dec. 3, was named PORT DALRYMPLE, by His Excellency governor Hunter, as a mark of respect to Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., the late hydrographer to the Admiralty. The following is a summary of the observations taken there, for fixing the position of Low Head, on the east side of the entrance:

_Lat.i.tude_ from six meridian alt.i.tudes, of which three were taken in port, and three at sea within sight of Low Head 41 3'

30" S.

_Longitude_ from two sets of distances of the sun east, and two west of the moon, with Troughton's nine inch s.e.xtant No. 251, corrected for the errors of the lunar and solar tables 146 43'

45" E.

From two sets of distances of the sun east, and two west of the moon, with a five-inch s.e.xtant of Adams 146 52'

46"

--------------- Mean from sun and moon 146 48' 15" E.

From one set of a star east, and one west of the moon, with No. 251 146 52'

34"

From two ditto, ditto, with the five-inch 146 56'

50"

--------------- Mean from stars and moon 146 54'

42"

--------------- Mean of all 146 51'

28" E.*

_Variation_ of the theodolite., observed on the sh.o.r.e of Outer Cove 7 28 east Do. of the azimuth compa.s.s, observed in the same place, 8 30 Do. of the same, taken at anchor off the port, the sloop's head being N. by E. (magnetic), 7 44 The time of high water in Port Dalrymple, is _one quarter of an hour before_ the moon pa.s.ses over the meridian; and the rise of tide is from six to eight, or it is said to ten, feet. The ebb sets out seven hours; and both ebb and flood run with much rapidity in the narrow parts, but the particular rate was not ascertained.