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
The evening wore a threatening aspect, though not apparently so much to
be dreaded as that of yesterday; however, we were disagreeably out in our
anticipations, for about three o'clock A.M. (January 16) a heavy squall
burst on us, veering from East-South-East to East-North-East, broke our
best bower anchor, and drove us half a mile out to sea, when the
remaining fluke hooked a rock and brought us up. It rained and blew till
daylight, then we were again favoured with fine weather, and light
westerly winds. The land was now in sight, Cape Villaret being the most
northerly point, and bearing East-South-East some 16 or 17 miles. The
hillock upon this cape, and two other hummocks, lying to the southward,
formed the only prominent features of the low land in sight.
CAPE VILLARET.
At this anchorage the flood-tide set East and by North, from one to one
and a half knots per hour. Before weighing I procured a specimen of live
coral from the depth of 11 fathoms.
Light airs, and the aid of the flood-tide, carried us into the centre of
Roebuck Bay, where we came to an anchor in 7 fathoms, Cape Villaret
bearing South by West 1/2 West about 10 miles. The fall of the tide here
was no less than 18 feet.
As we closed with the land, I had a good opportunity of speculating upon
its appearance, and the probability of our investigation confirming or
contradicting the opinion entertained by Captains King and Dampier, that
a channel would be found to connect Roebuck Bay with an opening behind
Buccaneers Archipelago, thus making Dampier's Land an island. I confess,
my own impressions at first sight differed from that of those high
authorities, nor did a nearer examination shake my opinion. Cape
Villaret, a short ridge lying East and West, and about 150 feet high, was
still the most remarkable object; the sand on its side having a curious
red appearance. From the masthead the land was not visible to the
eastward for the space of one point of the compass; yet its level
character, and the shoalness of the water, led alike to the opinion that
no such communication as supposed would be found to exist.
January 17.
Collecting materials for the chart was the chief occupation of the day.
Mr. Usborne discovered a high-water inlet in the south shore of the bay,
five miles east of Cape Villaret, having a dry bank of sand before it at
low-water.
VISIT FROM THE NATIVES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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