A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 13
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
various height and extent; scarcely any of them are more than five
leagues in circumference, and many are not four miles: Besides this
chain of islands, which lies at a distance from the coast, there are
others much less, which lie under the land, from which we saw smoke
rising in different places. We continued to steer along the shore at the
distance of about two leagues, with regular soundings from nine to ten
fathom. At sun-set, the farthest point of the main bore N. 48 W. and to
the northward of this lay some high land, which I took to be an island,
and of which the north-west point bore 41 W.; but not being sure of a
passage, I came to an anchor about eight o'clock in the evening, in ten
fathom water, with a muddy bottom. About ten we had a tide setting to
the northward, and at two it had fallen nine feet; after this it began
to rise, and the flood came from the northward, in the direction of the
islands which lay out to sea; a plain indication that there was no
passage to the N.W. This however had not appeared at day-break, when we
got under sail and stood to the N.W. At eight o'clock in the morning, we
discovered low land quite across what we took for an opening, which
proved to be a bay, about five or six leagues deep; upon this we hauled
our wind to the eastward round the north point of the bay, which at this
time bore from us N.E. by N. distant four leagues: From this point we
found the land trend away N. by W. 1/2 W. and a streight or passage
between it and a large island, or islands, lying parallel to it. Having
the tide of ebb in our favour, we stood for this passage; and at noon
were just within the entrance: Our latitude by observation was 20° 26'
S.; Cape Hillsborough bore S. by E. distant ten leagues; and the north
point of the bay S. 19 W. distant four miles. This point, which I named
_Cape Conway_, lies in latitude 26° 36' S., longitude 211° 28' W.; and
the bay which lies between this Cape and Cape Hillsborough I called
_Repulse Bay_. The greatest depth of water which we found in it was
thirteen fathom, and the least eight. In all parts there was safe
anchorage, and I believe, that upon proper examination, some good
harbours would be found in it; especially at the north side within Cape
Conway; for just within that Cape there lie two or three small islands,
which alone would shelter that side of the bay from the southerly and
southeasterly winds, that seem to prevail here as a Trade. Among the
many islands that lie upon this coast, there is one more remarkable than
the rest; it is of a small circuit, very high and peaked, and lies E. by
S. ten miles from Cape Conway, at the south end of the passage. In the
afternoon, we steered through this passage, which we found to be from
three to seven miles broad, and eight or nine leagues in length, N. by
W. 1/2 W., S. by E. 1/2 E. It is formed by the main on the west, and by
the islands on the east, one of which is at least five leagues in
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