Passage from the Barrier Reefs to Torres' Strait.
Reefs named Eastern Fields.
Pandora's Entrance to the Strait.
Anchorage at Murray's Islands.
Communication with the inhabitants.
Half-way Island.
Notions on the formation of coral islands in general.
Prince of Wales's Islands, with remarks on them.
Wallis' Isles.
Entrance into the Gulph of Carpentaria.
Review of the passage through Torres' Strait.
[EAST COAST. TOWARDS TORRES' STRAIT.]
THURSDAY 21 OCTOBER 1802
The last reefs were out of sight in the evening of Oct. 21, and our
course was continued for Torres' Strait; but the barrier was yet at too
little distance, not to cause apprehension of straggling reefs; and I
thought it too hazardous to run in the night, during this passage.
At noon of the 22d [FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER 1802], our latitude was 16° 39',
longitude 148° 43', and there was no bottom at 150 fathoms (Atlas, Plate
XII.); nor was any thing unusual to be seen, unless it were tropic and
man-of-war birds, and gannets. The _Bâture de Diane_ of Mons. de
Bougainville should lie about thirty-eight leagues to the N. E. by E.,
and his western reefs about twenty-eight leagues to the N. N. W. ½ W., of
this situation; and to them, or perhaps some nearer banks, the birds
might probably belong.* A piece of land is marked to the south-west of
the first reefs, but its existence is very doubtful; for all that M. de
Bougainville says of it (II, 163) is, that "some even thought they saw
low land to the south-west of the breakers."
[* Bougainville's longitude of the north end of Aurora Island, one of his
_Archipel de Grandes Cyclades_ (the New Hebrides of Cook), differed 54'
of longitude to the east of captain Cook's position; and it seems very
probable that it was as much too great when the above dangers were
discovered. Admitting this to be the case, the situations extracted from
his voyage (II, 161, 164) will be as under:
Bâture de Diane 15° 41' south 150° 25' east of Greenwich.
Reef 15 34½ 148 6
Second reef, 15 17 147 57 ]
SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER 1802
Next day at noon, we were in 15° 12' south, and 149° 2' east; the current
had set half a knot to the N. N. W., and many of the former kinds of
birds, as also boobies and petrels, were seen. Hitherto we had kept up
nearly to the wind, in order to gain an offing from the coast and Barrier
Reefs; but next morning [SUNDAY 24 OCTOBER 1802] the course was directed
N. W. At noon, latitude 13° 47', longitude 148° 39': many boobies seen,
and some petrels and tropic birds. On the 25th [MONDAY 25 OCTOBER 1802],
a shag flew round the ship, and a large flock of petrels was seen:
latitude at noon, 12° 55', longitude 147° 23', and the current setting
more than a mile an hour to the west (Atlas, Plate XIII.). At eight in
the evening, when we hauled to the wind, there was no bottom at 130
fathoms.
WEDNESDAY 27 OCTOBER 1802
In the morning of the 27th, a small land bird, resembling a linnet, was
seen; at noon we were in 10° 28' south and 146° 7' east, and the current
had set W. N. W., three quarters of a mile an hour, since the 25th. The
wind, which had been at south-east, then shifted suddenly to north, and
blew fresh with squally weather; but at midnight it veered to south-east
again. These changes were accompanied with thunder, lightning and rain;
indications, as I feared, of the approaching north-west monsoon. We lay
to, during a part of the night; and at day-break [THURSDAY 28 OCTOBER
1802] bore away again upon our north western course. At eight o'clock,
breakers were seen extending from S. W. by W. to N. by. E., distant from
two to six miles; there was a small gap in them, bearing N. by W.½ W.,
but we hauled up north-east, to windward of the whole, and made more
sail. I ventured to bear away at ten; and at noon our latitude was 9° 51'
36", and longitude 145° 45½' by time keeper. No reefs were then in sight;
but in steering west, we passed through a rippling of tide or current,
and a single breaker was seen from the mast head, at three o'clock,
bearing S. W. four or five miles.
These reefs lie nearly a degree to the eastward of those first seen by
the captains Edwards and Bligh, when entering Torres' Strait; for the
north-eastern extreme lies in 10° 2' south, and 145° 45' east. From this
position, the eastern line of the breakers extended ten or twelve miles
to the S. S. W., and the single breaker afterwards seen, lies about six
leagues to the W. N. W.; but how far they may be connected, or what the
extent of the reefs may be to the south-west, could not be seen. In the
belief that this was the first discovery of these coral banks, I called
them the _Eastern Fields_; intending thereby to designate their position
with respect to the other reefs of Torres' Strait.
Our latitude at noon was exactly that of the opening by which captain
Edwards of the Pandora had entered the Strait in 1791; and which I call
the _Pandora's Entrance_. This opening appeared to be preferable to that
further northward, by which captain Bligh and Mr. Bampton had got within
the reefs; more especially as it led directly for Murray's Islands,
where, if possible, I intended to anchor. Our course was therefore
steered west; and seeing no more reefs, it was continued until eight in
the evening, at which time we hauled to the wind, having no bottom at 105
fathoms.
FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER 1802
At daylight, after sounding ineffectually with 100 fathoms, we bore away
on our western course. Two reefs were seen at six o'clock; the one
bearing N. by W.½ W. three, and the other W. by N. ½ N. four miles. They
seemed to be small, and unconnected; but in all probability were parts of
those which form the north side of the Pandora's Entrance, and which
captain Bligh, who saw them more to the northward, named collectively,
Portlock's Reef. The situation of the southernmost part, deduced from the
preceding and following noons, will be 9° 48' south, and 144° 45' east.
[EAST COAST. TORRES' STRAIT.]
After passing these reefs, our course was west, by compass; and nothing
further was descried till eleven o'clock; breakers then came in sight
ahead, and we hauled up north-east, till noon; when the observed latitude
from both sides was 9° 36' 55", longitude 144° 13', and the depth 50
fathoms on a bottom of fine, white sand. The reef was distant one mile
and a half in the nearest part, and three miles at the extremes, which
bore N. 15° E. and S. 60° W.; a sand bank or key upon it bore W. ¾ S.,
and is probably dry at all times, for it was then near high water.
Finding by the latitude that we had been set considerably to the north,
and were out of the parallel of Murray's Islands, I tacked to the S. S.
W.; and at two o'clock, the largest island was seen bearing S. 38° W.
about five leagues. Soon afterward, a reef came in sight to the
south-east, extending in patches toward the islands; and presently
another was distinguished to the westward, from the mast head, which took
nearly a parallel direction, the passage between them being about four
miles wide. We steered along the lee side of the eastern reef, at the
distance of a mile, with soundings from 29 to 24 fathoms, coral sand,
until four o'clock; the reef then trended more southward, and we edged
away for the islands, of which Mr. Westall sketched the appearance (Atlas
Plate XVIII. View 10). At half past five, the largest island bore S. 36°
E. to 28° W., one mile and a half; and there being more reefs coming in
sight to the westward, the anchor was immediately let go in 20 fathoms,
coarse sand and shells. The north and east sides of the island are
surrounded by a reef, which may probably include the two smaller isles on
its southwest side; but it is totally unconnected with the reefs to the
north-east. These appear to be a northern continuation of the vast bank,
on the outside of which the Pandora sailed as far as 11½° south, and in
the chart of captain Edwards' track, published by Mr. Dalrymple, it is
marked as surrounding the islands; whereas it is at least four miles
distant from the reef which probably does surround them.
A number of poles standing up in various places, more especially between
the islands, appeared at a distance like the masts of canoes, and made me
apprehend that the inhabitants of the Strait had collected a fleet here;
but on approaching nearer, the poles were found to be upon the reefs, and
were probably set up for some purpose connected with fishing. We had
scarcely anchored when between forty and fifty Indians came off, in three
canoes. They would not come along-side of the ship, but lay off at a
little distance, holding up cocoa nuts, joints of bamboo filled with
water, plantains, bows and arrows, and vociferating _tooree! tooree!_ and
_mammoosee!_ A barter soon commenced, and was carried on in this manner:
a hatchet, or other piece of iron (tooree) being held up, they offered a
bunch of green plantains, a bow and quiver of arrows, or what they judged
would be received in exchange; signs of acceptance being made, the Indian
leaped overboard with his barter, and handed it to a man who went down
the side to him; and receiving his hatchet, swam back to the canoe. Some
delivered their articles without any distrust of the exchange, but this
was not always the case. Their eagerness to get tooree was great, and at
first, any thing of that same metal was received; but afterwards, if a
nail were held up to an Indian, he shook his head, striking the edge of
his right hand upon the left arm, in the attitude of chopping; and he was
well enough understood.
At sunset, two of the canoes returned to Murray's Island, paddling to
windward with more velocity than one of our boats could have rowed; the
third set a narrow, upright sail, between two masts in the fore part of
the canoe, and steered north-westward, as I judged, for the Darnley's
Island of captain Bligh.
I did not forget that the inhabitants of these islands had made an attack
upon the Providence and Assistant in 1792 (Vol I, Introduction*); nor
that Mr. Bampton had some people cut off at Darnley's Island in 1793 (Vol
I, Introduction**). The marines were therefore kept under arms, the guns
clear, and matches lighted; and officers were stationed to watch every
motion, one to each canoe, so long as they remained near the ship. Bows
and arrows were contained in all the canoes; but no intention of
hostility was manifested by the Indians, unless those who steered for
Darnley's Island might be supposed to go for assistance.
[* "On the 5th, boats were again sent to sound the passage. Several large
sailing canoes were seen; and the cutter making the signal for
assistance, the pinnace was sent to her, well manned and armed. On the
return of the boats in the afternoon, it appeared, that, of four canoes
which used their efforts to get up to the cutter, one succeeded. . . ."]
[** "After having gone entirely round the island, and seen nothing of the
object of his research, Mr. Dell returned to the first cove; where a
great concourse of natives, armed with bows, arrows, clubs, and lances,
were assembled at the outskirt of the wood. . . ."]
[SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER 1802]
We did not get under way in the morning, until the sun was high enough
for altitudes to be taken for the time keepers. Soon after daylight, the
natives were with us again, in seven canoes; some of them came under the
stern, and fifteen or twenty of the people ascended on board, bringing in
their hands pearl-oyster shells and necklaces of cowries; with which, and
some bows and arrows, they obtained more of the precious _tooree_.
Wishing to secure the friendship and confidence of these islanders to
such vessels as might hereafter pass through Torres' Strait, and not
being able to distinguish any chief amongst them, I selected the oldest
man, and presented him with a hand-saw, a hammer and nails, and some
other trifles; of all which we attempted to show him the use, but I
believe without success; for the poor old man became frightened, on
finding himself to be so particularly noticed.
At this time we began to heave short for weighing, and made signs to the
Indians to go down into their canoes, which they seemed unwilling to
comprehend; but on the seamen going aloft to loose the sails, they went
hastily down the stern ladder and ship's sides, and shoved off; and
before the anchor was up they paddled back to the shore, without our good
understanding having suffered any interruption.
The colour of these Indians is a dark chocolate; they are active,
muscular men, about the middle size, and their countenances expressive of
a quick apprehension. Their features and hair appeared to be similar to
those of the natives of New South Wales, and they also go quite naked;
but some of them had ornaments of shell work, and of plaited hair or
fibres of bark, about their waists, necks, and ancles. Our friend
Bongaree could not understand any thing of their language, nor did they
pay much attention to him; he seemed, indeed, to feel his own
inferiority, and made but a poor figure amongst them. The arms of these
people have been described in the voyage of captain Bligh (Vol I,
Introduction*); as also the canoes., of which the annexed plate, from a
drawing by Mr. Westall, gives a correct representation. The two masts,
when not wanted, are laid along the gunwales; when set up, they stand
abreast of each other in the fore part of the canoe, and seemed to be
secured by one set of shrouds, with a stay from one mast head to the
other. The sail is extended between them; but when going with a side
wind, the lee mast is brought aft by a back stay, and the sail then
stands obliquely. In other words, they brace up by setting in the head of
the lee mast, and perhaps the foot also; and can then lie within seven
points of the wind, and possibly nearer. This was their mode, so far as a
distant view would admit of judging; but how these long canoes keep to
the wind, and make such way as they do, without any after sail, I am at a
loss to know.
[* "Their arms were bows, arrows, and clubs, which they bartered for
every kind of iron work with eagerness; but appeared to set little value
on any thing else. The bows are made of split bamboo; and so strong, that
no man in the ship could bend one of them. The string is a broad slip of
cane, fixed to one end of the bow; and fitted with a noose, to go over
the other end, when strung. The arrow is a cane of about four feet long,
into which a pointed piece of the hard, heavy, _casuarina_ wood, is
firmly and neatly fitted; and some of them were barbed. Their clubs are
made of the _casuarina_, and are powerful weapons. The hand part is
indented, and has a small knob, by which the firmness of the grasp is
much assisted; and the heavy end is usually carved with some device: One
had the form of a parrot's head, with a ruff round the neck; and was not
ill done."]
Murray's largest island is nearly two miles long, by something more than
one in breadth; it is rather high land, and the hill at its western end
may be seen from a ship's deck at the distance of eight or nine leagues,
in a clear day. The two smaller isles seemed to be single hills, rising
abruptly from the sea, and to be scarcely accessible; nor did we see upon
them any fires, or other marks of inhabitants. On the shores of the large
island were many huts, surrounded by palisades, apparently of bamboo;
cocoa-nut trees were abundant, both on the low grounds and the sides of
the hills, and plantains, with some other fruits, had been brought to us.
There were many Indians sitting in groups upon the shore, and the seven
canoes which came off to the ship in the morning, contained from ten to
twenty men each, or together, about a hundred. If we suppose these
hundred men to have been one half of what belonged to the islands, and to
the two hundred men add as many women and three hundred children, the
population of Murray's Isles will amount to seven hundred; of which
nearly the whole must belong to the larger island.
The _latitude_ of the highest hill, deduced from that of the ship at the
following noon, is 9° 54' south, and _longitude_ by the time keeper
corrected, 144° 2' east; being 3' north, and 20' east of its position by
captain Edwards. A regular tide of about one knot an hour set E. by S.
and W. by N., past the ship; and by her swinging, it was high water at
half an hour after midnight, or about _ten hours and a half after_ the
moon had passed over the meridian. The bottom seemed to be loose at our
anchorage; but were these islands examined, it is probable that better
ground and shelter would be found on their western sides. I distinguished
from the mast head the north end of a reef, three miles distant to the W.
N. W.; but could not see whether it joined the reef surrounding the large
island. At N. N. W. ¾ W. four miles, was the south-west end of another
reef; and when we got under way at half past eight in the morning, our
course was directed between the two.
Ripplings of a suspicious appearance caused the whale boat to be kept
ahead for some time; but finding no ground upon them with 30 fathoms, and
the breeze becoming fresh, the boat was called on board. At 9h 40' the
following bearings were taken:
Darnley's Island, highest part, N. 39° W.
Murray's Islands, the largest, S. 58° to 40 E.
Murray's Islands, two smaller, nearly touching, S. 36 to 27 E.
Rippling off the N. end of a reef, dist. ½ mile, S. W. ½ W.
East end of a reef, distant 1½ miles, N. 6 E.
Mr. Westall's second view of Murray's Isles was taken from this position.
(Atlas Pl. XVIII. View 11.)
Knowing the difficulties experienced by captain Bligh and Mr. Bampton in
the northern part of the strait, I kept as much up to the southward, for
Cape York, as the direction of the reefs would admit. On the windward
side, we had a long chain of them extending W. S. W. to a great distance;
but its breadth was not great, as the blue water was seen beyond it, from
the mast head. On the north side there was no regular chain, and but one
reef of much extent; small patches were indeed announced every now and
then, from aloft, but these did not cause us much impediment; the
greatest was from two right in our track; but being a mile apart, we
passed between them at eleven o'clock.
[NORTH COAST. TORRES' STRAIT.]
Until noon, we had no soundings with from 25 to 30 fathoms of line, but
then found broken coral and shells at the latter depth; the great reefs
to windward were two or three miles distant, stretching south-west, and
our situation and bearings were as under:
Latitude observed, 9° 53½' S.
Longitude from time keeper, 143 42 E.
Murray's Isles, the largest, highest part, S. 88½ E.
Murray's Isles, the westernmost, highest part, S. 81½ E.
Darnley's I., highest part, obscure, N. 10 E.
A small, low isle, To the westward.
Nearest reef, distant two miles, S. 67° to N. 43 W.
Having a fresh breeze at S. E. by E, we ran at the rate of six knots,
following the chain of reefs lying to windward. On the other side, there
were still very few reefs; but several low isles were distinguished,
similar to that seen at noon; these were small, but seemingly well
covered with wood, and appertain, as I judge, to the group called by Mr.
Bampton, Cornwallis' Range. At half past two, we passed between reefs one
mile and a half asunder, having no ground at 25 fathoms; and then the
chain which had been followed from Murray's Isles, either terminated or
took a more southern direction. Another small, woody isle was then in
sight, nearly in our track, at four it bore N. 67° W., two-and-half
miles; and not seeing any other island ahead to afford shelter for the
night, we bore away round the south end of its reef, and came to an
anchor in 17 fathoms, coral sand.
Cent. of the island, dist. 1¼ miles, bore, S. 83° E.
The surrounding reef, N. 78° to S. 12 E.
A woody isle, westmost of five seen this p. m., N. 9 W.
A dry sand, set from the mast head, S. W.¾ S.
A boat was lowered down, and I went on shore with the botanical
gentlemen, to look about the island. It is little better than a bank of
sand, upon a basis of coral rock; yet it was covered with shrubs and
trees so thickly, that in many places they were impenetrable. The
north-western part is entirely sand, but there grew upon it numbers of
_pandanus_ trees, similar to those of the east coast of New South Wales;
and around many of them was placed a circle of shells of the _chama
gigas_, or gigantic cockle, the intention of which excited my curiosity.
It appeared that this little island was visited occasionally by the
Indians, who obtained from it the fruit of the pandanus, and probably
turtle, for the marks of them were seen; and the reef furnishes them with
cockles, which are of a superior size here to those we had found upon the
reefs of the East Coast. There being no water upon the island, they seem
to have hit upon the following expedient to obtain it: Long slips of bark
are tied round the smooth stems of the pandanus, and the loose ends are
led into the shells of the cockle, placed underneath. By these slips, the
rain which runs down the branches and stem of the tree, is conducted into
the shells, and fills them at every considerable shower; and as each
shell will contain two or three pints, forty or fifty thus placed under
different trees will supply a good number of men. A pair of these cockle
shells, bleached in the sun, weighed a hundred and one pounds; but still
they were much inferior in size to some I have since seen.
The fruit of the pandanus, as it is used by these Indians and by the
natives of Terra Australis, affords very little nourishment. They suck
the bottom part of the drupes, or separated nuts, as we do the leaves of
the artichoke; but the quantity of pulp thus obtained, is very small, and
to my taste, too astringent to be agreeable. In the third volume of the
Asiatic Researches, the fruit of the pandanus is described as furnishing,
under the name of _Mellori_, an important article of food to the
inhabitants of the Nicobar Islands; and in Mauritius, one of these
species is planted for its long and fibrous leaves, of which sacks, mats,
and bags for coffee and cotton are in a made.
This little island, or rather the surrounding reef, which is three or
four miles long, affords shelter from the south-east winds; and being at
a moderate day's run from Murray's Isles, it forms a convenient anchorage
for the night to a ship passing through Torres' Strait: I named it
_Half-way Island_. It is scarcely more than a mile in circumference, but
appears to be increasing both in elevation and extent. At no very distant
period of time, it was one of those banks produced by the washing up of
sand and broken coral, of which most reefs afford instances, and those of
Torres' Strait a great many. These banks are in different stages of
progress: some, like this, are become islands, but not yet habitable;
some are above high-water mark, but destitute of vegetation; whilst
others are overflowed with every returning tide.
It seems to me, that when the animalcules which form the corals at the
bottom of the ocean, cease to live, their structures adhere to each
other, by virtue either of the glutinous remains within, or of some
property in salt water; and the interstices being gradually filled up
with sand and broken pieces of coral washed by the sea, which also
adhere, a mass of rock is at length formed. Future races of these
animalcules erect their habitations upon the rising bank, and die in
their turn to increase, but principally to elevate, this monument of
their wonderful labours. The care taken to work perpendicularly in the
early stages, would mark a surprising instinct in these diminutive
creatures. Their wall of coral, for the most part in situations where the
winds are constant, being arrived at the surface, affords a shelter, to
leeward of which their infant colonies may be safely sent forth; and to
this their instinctive foresight it seems to be owing, that the windward
side of a reef exposed to the open sea, is generally, if not always the
highest part, and rises almost perpendicular, sometimes from the depth of
200, and perhaps many more fathoms. To be constantly covered with water,
seems necessary to the existence of the animalcules, for they do not
work, except in holes upon the reef, beyond low-water mark; but the coral
sand and other broken remnants thrown up by the sea, adhere to the rock,
and form a solid mass with it, as high as the common tides reach. That
elevation surpassed, the future remnants, being rarely covered, lose
their adhesive property; and remaining in a loose state, form what is
usually called a _key_, upon the top of the reef. The new bank is not
long in being visited by sea birds; salt plants take root upon it, and a
soil begins to be formed; a cocoa nut, or the drupe of a pandanus is
thrown on shore; land birds visit it and deposit the seeds of shrubs and
trees; every high tide, and still more every gale, adds something to the
bank; the form of an island is gradually assumed; and last of all comes
man to take possession.
Half-way Island is well advanced in the above progressive state; having
been many years, probably some ages, above the reach of the highest
spring tides, or the wash of the surf in the heaviest gales. I
distinguished, however, in the rock which forms its basis, the sand,
coral, and shells formerly thrown up, in a more or less perfect state of
cohesion; small pieces of wood, pumice stone, and other extraneous bodies
which chance had mixed with the calcareous substances when the cohesion
began, were inclosed in the rock; and in some cases were still separable
from it without much force. The upper part of the island is a mixture of
the same substances in a loose state, with a little vegetable soil; and
is covered with the _casuarina_ and a variety of other trees and shrubs,
which give food to paroquets, pigeons, and some other birds; to whose
ancestors it is probable, the island was originally indebted for this
vegetation.
The latitude of Half-way Island, deduced from that of the preceding and
following noons, is 10° 8' south, and longitude by time keeper corrected,
143° 18' east. From the time of anchoring, to nine at night, there was a
set past the ship to the north-east, of half a knot; it ceased for three
hours, then recommencing at a slower rate, ran to the same point. Thus
far in the strait, the current had been found to run at the rate of
fourteen miles a day to the westward; and the above set might have been
an eddy under the lee of the reef, for it seemed too irregular to be a
tide.
[SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER 1802]
At daylight in the morning the south-east trade blew fresh with squally
weather. We steered south-westward, passing at seven o'clock between two
dry sands, three or four miles apart, with a depth of 15 fathoms; at
eight, another dry bank was left two miles to the southward, and a small,
low island set at N. by W., two or three leagues. From this time, and
running at the rate of seven knots, nothing was seen until ten; a dry
sand then bore N. 78° W., two miles and a half, and two more low isles
were seen to the northward; the soundings had become regular, between 10
and 9 fathoms, and the bottom was of mixed sand and shells, fit for
anchorage. Our latitude at noon was 10° 26' 45", and longitude 142° 39½';
and we had high land bearing S. 3° E. ten or twelve miles, which I
supposed might be the easternmost of the York Isles, although captain
Cook's longitude of it was 38' more westward. The weather being hazy, no
other land was seen, nor any reefs; but at one o'clock, I set these
bearings:
York Isle, high flat top, S. 35° E.
A more northern, double isle, S. 84 W.
A high peaked hill (Mt. Ernest of Bligh), N. 16 W.
[NORTH COAST. PRINCE OF WALES' ISLANDS.]
At two o'clock, when we passed on the north side of the double isle, it
was seen to be surrounded with a coral reef, and there were rocks on its
west and south sides. We then hauled tip S. W. by S. for some rocky
islets lying, as I supposed, off Cape York; but finding no shelter there,
bore away round the north end of an island, of which Mr. Westall took a
view (Atlas, Plate XVIII. View 12), and anchored in 7 fathoms, gravel and
shells, one mile and a half from the land, and two or three cables length
from a shoal to the southward, which became dry at low water. Our
latitude here was 10° 30' from bearings, and longitude by time-keeper
142(? illegible in book) 18½' east; but I was altogether at a loss to
know what islands these were, under which we had anchored. Supposing the
flat-topped island to have been the easternmost York Isle, the land we
had in sight to the southward should have been Cape York; but no such
isles as those around us were laid down by captain Cook, to the north of
that cape. On consulting the sketch made by captain Bligh in the Bounty's
launch (Voyage to the South Seas, p. 220), it appeared that the first
land was not the easternmost isle, but one much nearer to Cape York; and
that our anchorage was under the southern group of the Prince of Wales'
Islands, the longitude of which, by captain Cook, is 1° 12' west of what
I make it.* The north-eastern isle of this group, under which we more
immediately lay, is that named Wednesday Island by captain Bligh; to the
other isles he gave no name; but the one westward of the ship seems to
have been the Hammond's Island of captain Edwards, when passing here with
the Pandora's boats. So soon as the weather cleared a little, the
subjoined bearings were taken.
[* Mr. Wales deduces from captain Cook's observations in the Endeavour,
that the error of his chart here, is 35' west (_Astron. Observations_, p.
131).]
Wednesday I., distant 1½ to 3 miles, S. 89° E. to 21° W.
Hammond's Isle, dist. 4 or 5 miles, S. 52 W. to 71 W.
Hawkesbury I. (of Edwards), highest part, N. 52 W.
Mount Augustus (of Bligh), N. 2 W.
A small isle, distant three leagues, N. 24 E.
Mount Ernest, peak, N. 36 E.
Double Isle, passed at 2 p.m., N. 70½ E.
Breakers on a reef, distant 3½ miles, N. 64 to 30 W.
[MONDAY 1 NOVEMBER 1802]
This evening and all the next day, the wind blew so strong that it was
impossible to land; nor did I think it prudent to quit the anchorage,
though anxious to commence the survey of the Gulph of Carpentaria. Upon
Hammond's Island some fires were seen; but Wednesday Island showed no
signs of being inhabited, unless some whitish, conical figures like
sentry boxes, were huts; there were bushes and small trees scattered over
both islands, but their general appearance was rocky and barren.
The tide here ran nine hours to the westward, at the strongest
two-and-half knots; and three hours north-eastward, but scarcely
perceptible; which deviation from the regular order was probably caused
by the current setting westward. So far as the soundings taken every hour
could ascertain the rise, it was at least two fathoms, and high water
took place _four or five hours after_ the moon's passage over and under
the meridian, and was completed by the three hours tide. According to
this, it would be high water here, and low water at Murray's Islands at
the same time, which would present a remarkable analogy between this
strait and that of Bass to the southward; this however is certain, that
the tide set E. by S. one knot and a quarter, at Murray's Islands, at
four in the morning; and that two days afterward, at Wednesday Island, it
set from one-and-half to two-and-half knots W. by S., from one till seven
in the morning. I will not venture to say that the latter part of the
flood comes from southwest at the Prince of Wales' Islands, though
appearances bespoke it; because captain Cook, who had better opportunity
for observation, found it setting from the east, in Endeavour's Strait.
He also gives the time of high water at one or two hours after the moon,
which comes nearer to what I observed at Murray's Islands.
From azimuths with the surveying compass when the head was S. E. by E.,
the variation was 3° 32', or corrected to the meridian, 4° 52' east.
TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER 1802
In the morning of Nov. 2, the wind being more moderate and at E. S. E.,
we steered between Hammond's Island and the north-western reef, with
soundings from 6 to 9 fathoms. Another island appeared beyond Hammond's,
to the south-west, which, as it had no name, I called _Good's Island_,
after Mr. Good, the botanical gardener; and we hauled up for it, passing
a rock and a small reef between the two. On seeing an extensive shoal
ahead, which would have carried us off the land to go round it, we
anchored in 7 fathoms, dead coral and shells, with the north end of
Hammond's Island bearing N. 64° E., four or five miles. The botanical
gentlemen landed on Good's Island; and in the afternoon I took these
bearings amongst others, from a hill near its south-west end.
The ship, distant 1¼ miles, N. 58° 0' W.
Wallis' Isles, over the Shoal Cape of Bligh, S. 23 5 W.
Booby Isle, centre, S. 80 0 W.
Northern isles, the westernmost visible, N. 28° 10' to 24 5 W.
Hawkesbury Island, N. 9 15 to 4 0 W.
North-west reef, its apparent termination, N. 38 50 W.
The shoal which stopped our progress did not run off from Shoal Cape, as
captain Bligh had supposed, but from a smaller and nearer island, two
miles from my station. Within the large island, of which Shoal Cape forms
the north-western point, I saw water like an inclosed port, probably the
Wolf's Bay of captain Edwards; and it seemed possible that the land may
be there divided; but the best information I can give of the forms and
extent of all these islands, will be seen in the particular chart.
It was now ascertained, that the figures resembling sentry boxes were ant
hills, of eight or more feet high; Pelsert found similar hills on the
West Coast, and says they might have been taken for the houses of
Indians, as in fact we did take them at a distant view. They were also
seen by Dampier on the North-west Coast, who mistook them in the same
way; but says he found them to be so many rocks, probably from not making
the examination with his usual care. The insects which inhabit, and I
suppose erect these structures, are small, reddish, with black heads, and
seemed to be a sluggish and feeble race. We found the common black flies
excessively numerous here; and almost as troublesome as Dampier describes
them to be on the North-west Coast.
Good's Island is between one and two miles long, and resembles the rest
of the cluster in being hilly, woody, and rocky, with small beaches on
the leeward side. The stone is granitic and brittle; but there is also
porphyry, and in one place I found streaks of verdegrease, as if the
cliffs above had contained copper ore. A log of wood, resembling the
cedar of Port Jackson, was thrown up on the beach, but none of the trees
were seen; those scattered over the island, though of various kinds, were
small and fit for little else than the fire. A species of silk-cotton
plant was plentiful; the fibres in the pod are strong, and have a fine
gloss, and might perhaps be advantageously employed in manufacture.
From two supplements of the sun's meridian altitude to the north, the
_latitude_ of our anchorage would be 10° 34' 12"; but the supplements
observed on the 31st having given 1' 14" too far south, the correct
latitude is taken to be 10° 32' 58". The _longitude_ from nine sets of
distances of the sun west of the moon, was 142° 23'; but by the corrected
time keeper, which I prefer, it was 142° 10½' east. To compare this
longitude with that of captain Cook, it must be reduced to some point
distinctly laid down by him, and I take Booby Island, which was in sight.
According to that navigator, Booby Isle is in 140° 38' east (Hawkesworth,
III, 214); whereas I made it to lie in 141° 57', or 1° 19' further east,
a difference which certainly appears very extraordinary; but it is still
more so, that the island should be laid down 63' of longitude to the west
of the high, flat-topped York Isle, instead Of 43' or 44'. To show that
the longitude by my time keeper was not much, if any thing too great, I
have to observe, that in captain Bligh's manuscript chart of 1792, Mount
Augustus is laid down from his time keepers in 142° 14'; and the mean of
his lunar observations, taken eight days before and six days afterward,
was 16' _more east_. My time keeper now placed Mount Augustus in 142°
18', or only 4' more east than captain Bligh's chart, consequently in 12'
less than by his lunar observations; by which quantity it was also less
than the nine sets of distances now taken by lieutenant Flinders.
No run of tide was perceptible at the anchorage, from eight in the
morning to two p.m.; but it then set westward, and continued so to do
until four next morning, and was then running one knot and a half. The
time of high water appeared by the soundings, to be nearly as they gave
it at Wednesday Island.
WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 1802
In the morning of the 3rd, the wind was moderate at E. S. E., and we made
sail to get in with the main land to the south of the Prince of Wales'
Islands. In hauling round the dry part of the shoal, we fell into 3
fathoms, and were obliged to steer round off; nor was it until after many
attempts, and running four or five miles further to the south-westward,
that the shoal would allow us to steer a southern course. At 8h 45',
being then in 5 fathoms,
Booby Isle bore, N. 56° W.
Cape Cornwall, S. 58 E.
Station on Good's Island, dist. 11 miles N. 54½ E.
From hence we carried 6 to 7 fathoms until past ten, and afterwards
irregular soundings between 3 and 9 fathoms, to noon; the latitude from a
supplement to the north, with the same correction as applied on the 2nd,
was then 10° 50' 44", and the bearings of the land were these;
Station on Good's Island, N. 29½° E.
Cape Cornwall, N. 68 E.
Wallis' Isles, the highest, distant 2½ miles, N. 84 E.
Wallis' Isles, a lower and broader, dist. 3 or 4 miles, S. 71° to 64 E.
Main land, low sandy point, dist. 8 miles, S. 43 E.
Main land, furthest extreme near a smoke, S. 77 E.
Between Cape Cornwall and the low main land above set, is the opening
called in the old Dutch chart, Speult's River; but which captain Cook,
who sailed through it, named Endeavour's Strait. Wallis' Isles are small,
low, and rocky, and the northernmost seemed destitute of vegetation; they
are surrounded with sandy shoals, which appeared to connect with the main
land and leave no ship passage between them. On the north side of the
isles there are several banks at the outlet of Endeavour's Strait; and
the passage this way into the Indian Ocean is thereby rendered much
inferior to that between Wednesday Island and the north-west reef, in
which there are no difficulties.
[NORTH COAST. GULPH OF CARPENTARIA.]
We passed Wallis' Isles, steering southward to get in with the main
coast; but the shoals forced us to run seven or eight miles to the west,
out of sight of land, before regular soundings could be obtained and a
southern course steered into the Gulph of Carpentaria. At dusk, the
anchor was dropped in 8 fathoms, soft mud, in latitude 11° 5', as
observed from the moon to the north and south, and longitude 141° 51' by
time keeper. The variation from amplitude at sunset, was 2° 33', with the
ship's head S. S. E., or 3° 10' east when reduced to the meridian; which
is 1° 42' less than was obtained from azimuths under Wednesday Island.
I now considered all the difficulties of Torres' Strait to be surmounted,
since we had got a fair entry into the Gulph of Carpentaria; and to have
accomplished this, before the north-west monsoon had made any strong
indications, was a source of much satisfaction, after the unexpected
delay amongst the Barrier Reefs on the East Coast. It was this
apprehension of the north-west monsoon that prevented me from making any
further examination of the Strait, than what could be done in passing
through it; but even this was not without its advantage to navigation,
since it demonstrated that this most direct passage, from the southern
Pacific, or Great Ocean to the Indian Seas, may be accomplished _in three
days_. It may be remembered, that the reefs on the north side of the
Pandora's Entrance were passed at six in the morning of Oct. 29; and
that, after lying two nights at anchor, we reached the Prince of Wales's
Islands at three in the afternoon of the 31st; and nothing then prevented
us from passing Booby Isle, had I wished it, and clearing Torres' Strait
before dusk. Our route was almost wholly to seek, and another ship which
shall have that route laid down to her, may surely accomplish the passage
in the same time; it must however be acknowledged, that this navigation
is not without difficulties and dangers; but I had great hope of
obviating many of them, and even of finding a more direct passage by the
south of Murray's Islands in the following year, when I should have the
assistance of the Lady Nelson in making a survey of the Strait.