Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.Stokes, John Lort
History
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.: With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During; The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43.; By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative; Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea.
Stokes, John Lort
Australia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Natural history -- Australia
From subsequent information, I called this Doubtful Bay; the tide ran
into it at the rate of from 1 to 3 knots, but the clear appearance of the
water, and entire absence of driftwood, afforded strong grounds for
supposing that it did not receive the waters of any river. Leaving Raft
Point, we crossed over to the islands on the opposite side, for a few
angles on their southern extreme, and afterwards made the best of our way
to Freshwater Cove. The day had, however, closed in long before arriving
there, and in the extreme darkness of the night the Cove was difficult to
find. Indeed my companions could not believe we were there until one of
the men returned with a keg of water from the stream in the head of it.
MR. HELPMAN'S REPORT.
Mr. Helpman joined us at sunset, and gave the following report of his
proceedings: "On leaving the cove at Raft Point, we passed along the
south shore for two miles, and landed on a point that afforded a most
commanding view of the bay, and the openings in its North-East corner,
which appeared to be formed by a large island lying near the shore. This
supposition afterwards proved to be correct, on landing at a point
fronting its western extreme, from whence I was enabled to trace the
shore round the North-East corner of the bay, till I identified it as the
same we had seen on the eastern side of the island from the station just
left. From the still and discoloured state of the water, I felt satisfied
there was no opening in the North-East corner of this bay. I am, however,
willing to admit it may have been more satisfactory to others if there
had been sufficient time at my disposal to have actually gone round the
island. We now hastened off to examine the mainland, lying behind a chain
of islands to the northward, where we also failed to discover an
opening."
MOUTH OF THE GLENELG.
As this account of Mr. Helpman's coincided with the opinion I had formed
of the other parts of the coast, I was induced at that time to come to
the conclusion that the river Glenelg which I found Lieutenants Grey and
Lushington had discovered, on my return to the ship, did not communicate
with the sea in this neighbourhood, as Lieutenant Grey had supposed, but
took a South-West direction, flanking Collier Bay, and terminating in the
mangrove openings on the eastern shore of Stokes' Bay in King's Sound. My
opinion was strengthened by Lieutenant Lushington having seen from his
furthest position (which has already been given) a very high bluff point
to the southward, distant 6 or 7 miles, and a line of cliffs under which
he conceived that an opening of the sea or a river may run. Further
experience has convinced me of the great difficulty attending the
discovery of the mouths of rivers in Australia, and as Mr. Helpman did
not actually visit the North-East corner of Doubtful Bay (named in
consequence) I am inclined to believe there is a possibility of the mouth
of the Glenelg still being found there.
April 14.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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