A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume II Part 34

SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 1803

Our north-west course was resumed at five in the morning, and continued without interruption, or sight of any danger, to the 19th [WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 1803] at noon, when the lat.i.tude was 10 53' south, and longitude by time keeper 147 6' east; the current had set above of a mile an hour to the N. 60 W., and we had every day seen b.o.o.bies, noddies, tropic birds, and some gulls. At four in the afternoon the course was altered one point more west, in order to make the Eastern Fields (Atlas, Plate XIII), whose extent to the southward, not having been seen in the Investigator, I wished now to ascertain. The breakers came in sight at eight next morning [THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER 1803], and we hauled up to pa.s.s round their south end; but the wind being scant for going to windward of all, and the small gap before seen in the middle appearing to be pa.s.sable for the c.u.mberland, we bore up for it. The depth at less than a quarter of a mile off was 40 fathoms, then 6, 7, 4 in the centre of the opening, 8, and no ground with the hand line; this front reef seeming to be a mere ledge of coral, which extended N. N. E. and S. S. W.; and that part of the opening in it where the sea did not break, is about one mile wide.

Immediately on getting through, alt.i.tudes were taken for the time keeper; and the longitude, reduced to the north-east extremity of the Eastern Fields, was 145 44' east, or about 1' less than what had been found in the Investigator from Broad Sound. In steering W. N. W., two small patches of reef were left to the south and one to the north, about five miles from the opening; other reefs then came in sight ahead and on each bow; and after sounding in 34 fathoms coral sand, and observing the lat.i.tude 10 2 1/3', we pa.s.sed through a narrow channel between them, having no ground at 7 fathoms. At one o'clock, the western extremity of these reefs bore S. 16 E. two miles, and others were seen in the horizon extending from N. W. to W. S. W.; we pa.s.sed close round the north end of these; but the single breaker laid down the year before, and which should lie about five miles to the N. N. E., was not perceived. At three o'clock, in steering westward, the last reefs were out of sight astern; and nothing more had been seen at seven, when we hauled to the wind for the night. An amplitude observed at sunset, with the schooner's head W.

by S., gave 6 2' east variation.

FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 1803

We tacked every two or three hours, until daylight; and then bore away W.

S. W. by compa.s.s, to make the south side of the Pandora's Entrance, which I had not seen in the Investigator. Soon after eight o'clock, breakers came in sight; and we stood off and on till noon, to fix their lat.i.tude and longitude, and ascertain our position with respect to Murray's Islands before entering the Strait. The sun was vertical and therefore difficult to be observed; but in taking Mr. Aken's observation on one side and mine on the other, which differed only 3', the mean lat.i.tude 10 0', could not be far wrong. The reef in sight was shown by this observation to be on the south side of the Pandora's Entrance, as I wished; and its north end will lie in 10 59' south, and longitude by the time keeper 144 40' east. We bore away so soon as the observation was obtained, and in pa.s.sing close round the north end, got soundings at two casts, in 7 and 5 fathoms.

This reef lies N. N. E. and S. S. W., and is about seven miles long with a breadth from one to three miles; its form is nearly that of a boot, and the outer edges are probably dry at low tide; but there was a considerable s.p.a.ce within, where the water looked blue, as if very deep.

The origin of that cla.s.s of islands which abound in the Great Ocean, under the names of Bow, Lagoon, etc., may here be traced. The exterior bank of coral will, in the course of years, become land, as in them; whilst the interior water will preserve its depth to a longer period, and form a lagoon, with no other outlet than perhaps one or two little openings for canoes or boats. In Mr. Dalrymple's chart of the Pandora's track, there is a dry bank marked on the north-west part of the reef; but this commencement of the metamorphosis was not visible to us, probably from its being covered by the tide, for it was then near high water. In some future age, when Boot Island shall be visited, this little remark, it it live so long, may be of some interest to the geographer.

[NORTH COAST. TORRES' STRAIT.]

I hauled up under the lee side of the reef, intending to anchor and go in a boat to sound the deep water within; but not finding any ground with 70 fathoms at a mile off, we bore away at two o'clock to make Murray's Islands. At three, breakers were seen four or five miles to the southward, and others, perhaps on the same reef, about three miles W. S.

W. from them; in half an hour the largest of Murray's Islands came in sight to the W. by N.; and our course being continued to six o'clock, the centre then bore N. 78 W. nearly four leagues, but the front reefs, which could not be more than half that distance in the same direction, were not visible. We then hauled to the wind, and stood off and on till daylight [SAt.u.r.dAY 22 OCTOBER 1803], when the largest island bore W. by S.

Murray's Islands may be considered as the key to the best pa.s.sage yet known through Torres' Strait, and my route to them in the Investigator being circuitous, I wished to ascertain whether a more direct track might not be found; we therefore steered to make the north-eastern reefs, and on coming in with the breakers, ran along their south side at the distance of one or two miles. At half past seven, the termination of these reefs bore N. N. W.; but another reef, which extended far to the south, had for some time been in sight, and a dry sand on its north end now bore S. W. by W. one mile. In the opening between them was a small patch of coral, and several green spots in the water round it; but there appearing to be room for the c.u.mberland to pa.s.s on the north side, I ventured through, sounding in 20 and 23 fathoms without finding bottom.

This opening is a mile wide, and lies five or six miles, nearly E. N. E., from the largest of Murray's Islands; it would consequently be more direct to pa.s.s through it than to follow the Investigator's track round the north-eastern reefs; but from the narrowness of the opening and the many green spots where the depth is unknown to me, I dare not recommend it to a s.h.i.+p, though very practicable for small vessels in fine weather.

The dry bank on the south side of the opening will probably be covered at three-quarters flood.

After clearing the pa.s.sage, I steered W. N. W. to avoid going near Murray's Islands, lest the small size of the c.u.mberland should tempt the Indians to make an attack; this they were likely to do if the opportunity offered, and many were standing on the sh.o.r.e with their canoes seemingly in readiness. At 8h 50' the large island bore S. 6 E. to 13 W., three or four miles; and our position in longitude being very nearly the same with that of my former anchorage, alt.i.tudes were taken for the time keeper. The result, when corrected, was 144 2' 0" east, and in the Investigator it had been 144 2' 58", being a difference scarcely worth notice. When it is considered that Wreck Reef, whence the c.u.mberland's departure was taken, and Coepang in Timor, by which the longitude is corrected, are laid down from observations wholly distinct from those at Upper Head and Sweers' Island, which regulated the Investigator's longitude, this near coincidence will be thought remarkable; and it must also be allowed to show, that an equally accelerated rate and supplemental correction are improvements on the ordinary management of time keepers.

At this time, the large reef to the north of Murray's Islands was distant one or two miles, and we steered westward along it, to get into my former track; but the man at the mast head saying that the water was discoloured, and that he did not think there was any pa.s.sage in the direction we steered, I thought myself deceived in the distance of the island; and the schooner was hauled up two points to the southward, where the appearance was better. It became evident, however, that the discoloured water was in the same ripplings of tide through which the Investigator had pa.s.sed without finding bottom at 30 fathoms; and no doubt it was from these ripplings that the discolouring arose.

At ten o'clock, the top of the largest island bore S. 74 E. five or six miles, we had reefs at the distance of half a mile to a mile on each beam, and I then found that we were to the south of the Investigator's track; but the channel being clear ahead, and taking a direction nearly straight for Cape York, I steered onward, being rather pleased than sorry at having thus got by accident into a new route. Darnley's Island was seen from the mast head before eleven; and when the top of Murray's Island bore E. 1 S. it was set at N. N. W., the depth being then 52 fathoms on a bottom of small stones, coral, and sh.e.l.ls. The great line of reefs which had been kept on the larbord beam of the Investigator, was now on the starbord beam of the schooner; but we had also a great ma.s.s of reefs on the other side, forming between them a kind of channel from two to four miles broad, leading south-westward. We ran on at the rate of five knots until noon, when the depth was 25 fathoms, soft sand, and our situation as under,

Lat.i.tude observed to the south, 9 58'

Longitude brought on, 143 45 Murray's I., top of the largest, N. 78 E.

Murray's I., south-westernmost, N. 82 E.

The channel was now five or six miles wide, and no interruption yet appeared; but breakers were seen a-head before two o'clock, and seemed to connect the reefs to leeward with those on the weather side; and there being a small opening on the starbord beam, we bore away north-west through it, towards the Investigator's track. Other reefs, however, obstructed the way, upon one of which was a dry bank; and seeing a sort of middle channel within them, we hauled up W. by S. into it, and afterwards S. W. The sea did not break upon these reefs, and the sun being on the starbord bow, prevented us from knowing how they lay to leeward. At four, the coral bottom was seen under the schooner, and the depth was no more than 2 fathoms; we tacked immediately, and in ten minutes were able to weather the end of the reef at the outlet of the middle channel, where no obstruction appeared; but a bank, probably not of coral, was found to run across, and in pa.s.sing over it we had 3, 1, 2, 3, 8 fathoms, and in five minutes 22 on a soft bottom. A swell was then perceived coming from E. S. E., which showed that the weather reefs also there terminated; it even implied that the waves had no obstruction for many miles, probably as far as the great outer reef seen by the Pandora.

Half-way Island came in sight as soon as the middle channel was cleared, and we steered west, carrying all sail to reach it before dark. In pa.s.sing round the north end of its reef at sunset, we had 18 fathoms, and presently anch.o.r.ed in 20, with the centre of the island bearing S. by E.

E. one mile, and the reef from E. S. to S. W. by S. Next morning at daylight [SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER 1803], Mr. Aken went on sh.o.r.e to bring off some sh.e.l.ls of the large c.o.c.kle (_chama gigas_), which the Indians place under the panda.n.u.s trees to catch water, and on his return at eight o'clock, we resumed our course to the south-westward, pa.s.sing between some dry sands before seen in the Investigator. I then kept up more southward to fetch the York Isles, and this took us between two other sands surrounded with small reefs. There were many birds, and a pole was standing up on the northern bank; and the wind becoming very light, an anchor was dropped in 14 fathoms under the west side, and I went on sh.o.r.e.

This bank or key was very little above high water; but a young panda.n.u.s had been planted on the top and surrounded with a circle of stones, apparently to protect it from the turtle, whose tracks were fresh on the sand. It appeared from thence, that the Indians come here at times; and this tree had been planted with a view, most probably, to obtain fresh water by the same means as at Half-way Island. The lat.i.tude of the bank, according to Mr. Aken's meridian observation, is 10 18' south, longitude by the time keeper 143 6' east, and there is a similar bank lying two or three miles to the southward.

On my return the south-east trade had freshened up, and we steered S. W.

by compa.s.s, in soundings from 13 to 11 fathoms, soft ground. Some of the small woody isles before laid down, were seen to the north-westward, but nothing else till four o'clock; the high flat-topped York Isle then came in sight, and at six the following bearings were set.

Mount Adolphus, the flat top, S. 33 W.

Two rocks on its south side, S. 17 W.

Western York Isle, the north end, S. 69 W.

A low distant isle (from the mast head), S E.

I purposed anchoring between the flat-topped island and the western isle; but several rocks being seen there, and the night coming on, we bore away to leeward of the rocks and came to in 13 fathoms, soon after seven o'clock. The tide was setting to the westward, and so continued till half past nine, when it turned to the east, and ran till half past three in the morning [MONDAY 24 OCTOBER 1803]; if the rise by the sh.o.r.e corresponded with the stream, it was high water _three hours and a half after_ the moon's pa.s.sage; which would be five hours later than at Murray's Islands, and one hour earlier than it had appeared to be at those of the Prince of Wales (see Ch. V, 1 November). A fresh breeze from south-east raised a swell here, but the anchor held all night; and before getting under way next morning, I set the following bearings of the land.

Flat-topped I., distant three miles S. 42 to 2 E.

Flat-topped I., centre of Mount Adolphus, S. 32 E.

C. York, outer of three islets near the E. extreme, S. 2 E.

Western York I., distant 1 miles S. 18 to 88 W.

Northern double I., imperfectly from aloft, N. W. by W. W.

On pa.s.sing the north end of the western isle at seven o'clock, I took alt.i.tudes for the time keeper, and from thence deduced the longitude of Mount Adolphus to be 142 40' east; we then hauled up for Cape York, with soundings between 14 and 10 fathoms, leaving on the starbord hand a rock which lies S. 78 W. five miles from the north end of the western isle.

At half past eight, two rocks close to the northern extremity of the Cape were distant four or five miles, the Prince of Wales's Islands were coming in sight, and the following bearings were taken.

Western York Isle, north end, N. 70 E.

C. York, north extreme, S. 58 E.

C. York, hill at the north-west extreme, S. 11 W.

Possession Isle, apparently, of capt. Cook, S. 26 to 33 W.

Northern double Isle, centre, North.

On the largest of the Prince of Wales' Islands was a hill forming something like two horns at the top; we steered a direct course for this hill, and perceived a bight or opening two miles to the south of it, by which the sea may probably have a communication with the water before observed within the great island. From abreast of Horned Hill we followed the line of the sh.o.r.e northward, in soundings from 4 to 7 fathoms at one or two miles off; and soon after ten o'clock hauled west into the opening between this land and Wednesday Island, to pa.s.s through the middle of the group. Our soundings were variable between 5 and 3 fathoms, until approaching Hammond's Island; when there not appearing to be depth enough on its south side, I steered out northward, leaving a rock on the starbord hand within which there was only 2 fathoms.

This rock seems to be the small, dark-coloured island described by Mr.

Hamilton as being near the centre of Sandwich Sound (see Introduction); and if so, Wolf's Bay, in which he says there is from 5 to 7 fathoms and commodious anchorage for s.h.i.+pping, should be that inclosed piece of water seen from the top of Good's Island; but to me at this time, there did not appear to be any s.h.i.+p pa.s.sage into it from the northward. An island lies at the entrance, and on its west side the depth may probably be more considerable.

On getting out from between Wednesday and Hammond's Islands, we steered along the south side of the great north-western reef; and at noon our observation and bearings were as under.

Lat.i.tude observed to the north, 10 31'

Hammond's I., the north rock dist. 2 miles, N. 73 E.

Good's I., former station on the S. W. hill, S. 23 W.

Hawkesbury I., the highest part, N. 14 W.

b.o.o.by Isle was in sight from the mast head at one o'clock, bearing nearly W. S. W.; and soon after three we anch.o.r.ed one mile to leeward of it, in 7 fathoms, soft sand. A boat was sent on sh.o.r.e, which presently came back loaded with b.o.o.bies; and fresh turtle tracks having been perceived, the crew returned to watch, and at midnight we received five turtle. These appeared to be of the species called hawkes-bill; the sh.e.l.ls and skins, as also their fat, were of a red tinge, and they had longer necks than the turtle procured at Wellesley's Islands, to which they were much inferior, both in size and quality.

When entering the Gulph of Carpentaria in the Investigator, I had remarked what appeared to be a considerable error in the relative positions of b.o.o.by Isle and the flat-topped York Island, as they are laid down by captain Cook; and to obtain more certainty, the longitude of the flat top had been observed this morning from the time keeper, and I anch.o.r.ed here this afternoon to do the same by b.o.o.by Isle. The result showed the difference of longitude between them to be 43', differing less than 1' from what had been deduced in the Investigator, whereas, by captain Cook, they are placed 63' asunder. The high respect to which the labours of that great man are ent.i.tled, had caused me to entertain some doubt of the reality of this error until the present verification. It is to be wholly ascribed to the circ.u.mstance of his not having had a time keeper in his _first_ voyage; and a more eminent proof of the utility of this valuable instrument cannot be given, than that so able a navigator could not always avoid making errors so considerable as this, when deprived of its a.s.sistance.

A meridian alt.i.tude of the moon placed b.o.o.by Isle in lat.i.tude 10 36'

south; and the longitude from a medium of the Investigator's and c.u.mberland's time keepers, was 141 56' east. A morning's amplitude taken after quitting the isle when the schooner's head was W. by S., gave the uncorrected variation 5 38' east.

TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 1803

At daybreak next morning, having a fresh trade wind, we steered W. by S.

by compa.s.s, the soundings increasing gradually from 7 fathoms to 13 at noon, when our lat.i.tude was 10 38' and longitude 141 17'. No reefs or other dangers had been seen to the west of b.o.o.by Isle; nor were any met with in steering across the Gulph of Carpentaria towards Cape Wilberforce (Atlas, Plate XIV), though many birds, princ.i.p.ally b.o.o.bies, were seen every day. We ran in the night, with the precaution of heaving to every four hours, to sound; the depth was from 30 to 36 fathoms on a muddy bottom, nearly all across the Gulph.