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
In the afternoon we reached another anchorage, some ten miles further to
the North-East. The coast along which we sailed within the distance of
two miles, was chiefly remarkable for its tall, dark-looking cliffs, with
here and there a small sandy bay intervening. We anchored under Point
Emeriau, so named by Captain Baudin, by whom it was mistaken for an
island; its tall, white cliffs, springing from and guarded by a base and
ledges of black rock, and tinged with red towards their summits, render
it a point not easily to be mistaken or forgotten by any who have once
seen it. Beyond this the coast curved away to the eastward, forming a
bight about eleven miles in length.
January 26.
Leaving our anchorage at daylight, we passed the north point of the bight
just mentioned soon after noon; it is a low black rugged cliffy point,
called Borda by the French, having a much more weather-beaten appearance
than would have been anticipated in this latitude. Behind it the country
rose obliquely, the horizon terminating in an inconsiderable, undulatory,
and well-wooded elevation.
CAPE LEVEQUE.
We passed another bight in the afternoon, the shores of which were low
and rocky, with a mangrove creek in its depth: from this bight the coast
becomes almost straight, the line being hardly broken by rocky points and
shallow sandy bays, to Cape Leveque, on the North-East side of which we
found an indifferent anchorage just before sunset. Cape Leveque is a red
cliffy point some sixty feet in height, with an islet of the same
character lying close off it. The latter bore from our anchorage in 5
fathoms, South 56 degrees West 2 miles, and 4 1/2 West 20 degrees South
from the entrance point of the inviting opening, we were now about to
explore, with an interest rather stimulated than decreased by the want of
success that attended our examination of Roebuck Bay.
POINT SWAN.
This point was named by Captain King, Point Swan, in honour of Captain
Swan of the Cygnet, under whom Dampier first discovered it; and was an
appropriate tribute of respect and admiration, from one distinguished no
less than Dampier himself, by the possession of those qualities of
firmness, patience, judgment and perseverance, which make up the
character of the scientific and adventurous navigator, to him by whom he
had been preceded in Australian discovery. The country between Point Swan
and Cape Leveque has a very sandy and barren aspect; the hillocks near
the latter partook of its prevailing red colour.
TIDE-RACES.
January 27.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account